Syria is celebrating the overthrow of its long-standing dictator, but it is also facing a fresh ground invasion and a barrage of Israeli airstrikes that have drawn increasing international censure and alarm on Tuesday.
While Israeli ground forces advanced into Syrian territory, explosions shook Damascus overnight, smoke rose from a research facility north of the capital, and wrecked naval ships waited in the western port of Latakia.
As Israeli soldiers take over the demilitarized and U.N.-patrolled buffer zone, which was created under a 1974 ceasefire deal, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that he had ordered the military to create a “sterile defense zone” in southern Syria.
Israel claims that the goal of its airstrikes and ground operations is to keep Assad’s rocket and chemical weapons stockpile from getting into the hands of extremists who would endanger its citizens or borders.
However, as Syria moves past 53 years of Assad administration, the international community is already concerned about potential instability, thus its march has sparked alarm. Arab nations denounced the intervention on Tuesday, charging Israel with breaking international law and taking advantage of the unrest in Syria.
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