Israel announced airstrikes on chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria and, for the first time in five decades, sent its troops into Syrian territory following a rebel takeover of Damascus that resulted in the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday.

Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, indicated that the assaults targeted Syria’s “strategic weapons systems,” encompassing chemical weapon stockpiles and long-range missiles and rockets, aiming to keep them from falling into extremist hands.

The strikes were conducted following the rapid advance of the Syrian Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which captured Damascus within two weeks, forcing Assad to reportedly flee to Russia.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz asserted that Israel intends to “eliminate significant strategic weapons throughout Syria, including anti-aircraft missiles, air defense systems, surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, long-range rockets, and coastal missiles.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he dispatched troops from the Golan Heights into Syrian territory, taking control of positions left vacant by the Syrian military “to prevent any hostile entity from establishing a presence next to Israel’s border.” This region, annexed by Israel, is widely regarded as occupied Syrian land.

Netanyahu referred to this military incursion as a “temporary defensive measure until an appropriate arrangement can be achieved.”

According to the New York Times, U.S. intelligence agencies are actively monitoring Syrian chemical weapon storage facilities to prevent any of them from being acquired by extremists.

Israel and Iran Vie for Influence Among Syrian Rebels

The unexpected collapse of the Assad government, which was closely supported by Iran and its allied militia, is seen as a positive shift for Netanyahu.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel group with past ties to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus on Saturday. This development occurred amidst a time when Iran and its allies in the region, including Hezbollah from Lebanon, were weakened by over a year of military engagement with Israel.

Both Israel and Iran are in a rush to forge relations with the newly established rebel leadership in Syria.

Netanyahu stated, “We extend a hand of peace to all those beyond our border in Syria. We will carefully monitor developments to foster a neighborly and peaceful relationship with the new powers emerging in Syria.”

Iranian officials disclosed to Reuters that they are also reaching out to Syria’s new leadership in hopes of building diplomatic ties.

One Iranian official noted, “The key concern for Iran is whether the new leadership in Syria will distance itself from Tehran. Avoiding that scenario is crucial for Iran.”

Hezbollah fighters, who had supported the Assad regime, have started to withdraw from Syria over the past year as tensions with Israel escalated. Numerous elite Hezbollah fighters retreated from Homs as rebel forces closed in.

Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah member of Lebanon’s parliament, described the recent transformations in Syria as “a significant, dangerous, and new shift.”

Iran and Allies Suffer from War with Israel

Since Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and heightened regional tensions, Israel has been conducting aerial strikes across Gaza and parts of Lebanon. Reports indicate that over 43,000 Palestinians have lost their lives amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.

The last time Israeli forces entered Syrian land was during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when they repelled Syrian troops from the Golan Heights.

Throughout the 13-year-long civil war, Assad employed chemical weapons repeatedly. In 2013, sarin nerve gas was released in parts of Damascus, resulting in over 1,400 fatalities.