MK sports Koreaphoto taken on Dec. 8, 2024 shows Israeli troops near the buffer zone between Syria and Israel in the Golan Heights. (Photo: Xinhua)" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2024/2024-12-10/29c85916-4f2c-4679-a73f-bff05aafb4da.jpeg" />

This photo taken on Dec. 8, 2024 shows Israeli troops near the buffer zone between Syria and Israel in the Golan Heights. (Photo: Xinhua)

As the world closely watches the power transition in Syria, Israeli forces have reportedly launched large-scale attacks across the country, targeting major strategic military infrastructure, including in the capital Damascus. These developments raise concerns about the process of power transition in Syria and further instability in the region. 

Israel pounded Syrian army bases on Tuesday in strikes it says aim to keep weapons from falling into hostile hands, but denied its forces had advanced into Syria beyond a buffer zone at the border, Reuters reported on Tuesday, after Syrian sources said the incursion had extended to within 25 kilometers of the capital Damascus.

Three security sources said the Israelis had advanced beyond the demilitarized zone. One Syrian source said they had reached the town of Qatana, several kilometers to the east of the buffer zone and just a short drive from Damascus airport, but an Israeli military spokesperson said troops had not left the demilitarized zone, the report said. 

On Sunday, Israel quickly moved in and seized the buffer zone separating the occupied Golan Heights from Syrian-controlled areas. 

Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in the 1980s, but the international community has never recognized the move, according to Xinhua News Agency. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Netanyahu said the occupied Golan Heights would remain with Israel "for eternity," Al Jazeera reported.

We want to see the situation in Syria stabilize as soon as possible, and we do hope an inclusive political process can be initiated as soon as possible. The factions and parties in Syria should take the interest of the people as their priority, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN said when answering a question on the situation of Syria. The UN Security Council members on Monday of local time convened for closed consultations on Syria situation, according to CCTV News. 

Mohammed Al-Bashir has officially taken over Syrian transitional government, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Israel's attacks in Syria are driven by concerns over weapons proliferation after the end of Assad's rule. Also, in recent years, Israel has focused on expanding its security borders and buffer zones, adopting an aggressive posture, Zhu Yongbiao, a professor from the School of Politics and International Relations in Lanzhou University, told the Global Times. 

Its primary targets in Syria are chemical weapons facilities and military infrastructure, aimed at weakening anti-Israel forces. Regardless of who holds power, Israel seeks to exploit Syria's instability to pursue its strategy, Zhu said. 

Given the ongoing instability in Syria, a major conflict between Syria and Israel is unlikely in the short term. However, if Syria achieves unity, Israel's actions would likely face strong resistance due to nationalist sentiments within a unified government. On the other hand, if Syria remains fragmented and chaotic, it is possible Israel will continue its actions in Syria, Zhu said. 

Some regional countries, including Qatar, Iraq and Saudi Arabia have decried Israel's seizure of land in Syria. The Qatari Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Doha considers the Israeli incursion "a dangerous development and a blatant attack on Syria's sovereignty and unity as well as a flagrant violation of international law," according to a report from Al Jazeera. 

Assad's prime minister, Mohammed Jalali, on Monday agreed to hand power to the rebel-led Salvation Government. The main rebel commander Ahmed al-Sharaa, known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani met with Jalali and Vice President Faisal Mekdad to discuss the transitional government, Reuters reported. 

Syria's political transition faces substantial challenges. Forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has advanced into the capital, have a strong religious orientation, and while it has shown signs of adjustment in recent years, it remains uncertain whether it can evolve into a moderate and inclusive leadership force, said Ding Long, a professor with the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University.

Currently, the transfer of power in the new regime seems low-risk. However, the main challenge lies in how long a new government can remain stable and whether it can survive the frictions between different factions. Foreign influences and interventions could also further exacerbate divisions and infighting, testing the new government's viability, said Zhu. 

The possibility of regional fragmentation and warlord control in Syria remains high and the international community is closely monitoring the situation in Syria and its spillover effects on the region, particularly concerning refugee issues and terrorism, Zhu said. 

After more than a decade of turmoil, Syria is grappling with severe refugee and humanitarian crises, and the international community has been providing humanitarian assistance. However, such support hinges on the Syrian government being open to broad cooperation with the international community, said the expert.