Extra

Israel’s ongoing military aggression in Syria and its expansion of illegal settlements in the Golan Heights represent an alarming shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Israel has launched over 800 strikes on Syria in the past week, marking its heaviest bombardment of the coastal Tartus region in more than a decade. These actions come amid Israel's latest plan to further settle the Golan Heights, an area it has occupied since 1967. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly declared the importance of “strengthening” the Golan, signaling Israel’s intent to hold the territory permanently. 

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, rightly criticizes Israel’s lawless behavior, describing it as "strategic opportunism" under Netanyahu’s government. He argues that while Israel’s military actions may serve short-term political goals, they set dangerous precedents for the region. 

Bishara also addresses the hypocrisy of U.S. foreign policy, pointing out the double standard in how Washington criticizes Assad's regime in Syria while overlooking Israeli war crimes. In Gaza, Israel’s relentless attacks on Palestinian civilians, including journalists and doctors, have sparked global outrage, yet Israel faces little accountability.