The intensity of the conflict in the region continues without any signs of an imminent or specific end in sight. While Israel emerges as a dominant force, it persists in its war of extermination against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. Calls from the far-right to reoccupy Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza are growing louder, giving free rein to its settlers and soldiers to commit violations in a blatant and outrageous manner, unacknowledging any international laws, agreements, or charters. Israel is exploiting an opportunity it has not had for a long time, as it currently operates with full control and benefits from unconditional support, both media and military, not only from its patron, the United States, but also from many European countries that have bent their national laws to accommodate the needs of this expansionist, settler state in the region.

As the scope of war extends to include Lebanon—now also a violated state—the aim seems to go beyond eliminating Hezbollah despite all the destructive strikes and targeted assassinations of its top-ranking leaders, members, and allies, as well as its stockpile of weapons. The purpose of the war has evolved from simply pushing Hezbollah away from the northern border to turning southern Lebanon into a depopulated area after flattening villages and towns in the region. The proposed solution of reinstating Resolution 1701 appears to require months of destruction, displacement, and killing to become implementable, if at all, depending on the agendas of Israel’s war machine.

On another front, after waiting for the form of Israel’s response to the Iranian strike, Israel’s response appeared synchronized, even coordinated, following American and international calls to avoid further escalation. Has Israel truly yielded to these pressures, confining its response within these limits? Despite Iran’s attempts to mitigate its losses and limit the damage, the strikes appeared aimed at diminishing Iran’s military capabilities, particularly regarding long-range missile production, while refraining from targeting oil production and export zones. Nevertheless, this issue has not been put to rest, as the media warfare, calls for counter-responses, and displays of strength between both sides continue.

In Syria, the situation appears more complex. What seemed like a prolonged stalemate, in which the Syrian regime appeared as a victor everyone sought to accept and normalize relations with, now seems over. Syria has entered a new and explosive phase of escalation, the outcome of which remains uncertain.

Due to the intensifying Israeli conflict with Hezbollah and Iran, Syria has become a battleground for settling scores with them. Since the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation on October 7, 2023, Israeli operations within Syria targeting Iranian and Hezbollah-related sites have increased, along with assassination operations in Syrian territories, which now disregard civilian casualties or densely populated areas. The escalation of the Israeli war on Lebanon and Hezbollah strongholds has turned Syria into a new base for Hezbollah’s leaders and members, as well as for Iranian officials, who have become new targets for Israel’s precise assassination operations in the Damascus area. Other Syrian regions have also become targets due to their status as weapons storage sites, such as the strike near Hmeimim Airport in Latakia or the recent attack in Suwayda on weapons depots. Statistics indicate more than 100 Israeli strikes on various Syrian regions in just the past year.

Israel has entered Syrian territory from the direction of Quneitra and the Golan Heights, repositioning itself after moving the border fence within Syrian territory. Israel justifies this as self-defense against Iranian attacks and affiliated militias, including Hezbollah and the Popular Mobilization Forces.

Similarly, we can observe direct Israeli interventions, like the operation in Masyaf, where a Syrian citizen was abducted in a ground intervention in Quneitra on the pretext of collaborating with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

In northern Syria, the situation has not been better. Russian strikes and Syrian regime attacks on northwest Syria have intensified, as has tension between factions in the area. Turkish strikes on northeast Syria have targeted infrastructure following an attack claimed by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Ankara. Additionally, ongoing tensions tied to the Iranian presence in the region have led to increased ISIS operations, which have exploited the tense situation to reactivate and expand.

The situation in the region, particularly in Syria, has never been as uncertain and ambiguous. Regrettably, everything is subject to speculation, predictions, and questions, tied to regional and international powers more than to the Syrians themselves, regardless of the side they belong to. Will the intensity of the confrontation between Iran and Israel increase beyond its current level? Will the Syrian regime break its silence on the significant violations occurring on its lands and take steps to secure its survival and influence in its areas, submitting to Russian and Gulf demands, and those of Israel behind them? Will it sever ties with Iran and take real measures concerning Hezbollah and the captagon issue, especially since it is expected that Hezbollah’s influence may shift to Syria, turning Syrian territory into a potential battleground between Iran and Israel?

Could the current situation open the door for Turkey to intervene more extensively in Syrian territory and annex additional areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration to areas governed by the National Army, and thus expand Turkish influence? Especially since Turkey’s talk of normalization with the Syrian regime has been abandoned with claims that the regime is not ready for it, while the region witnesses an unprecedented military escalation.

Finally, will we see significant shifts tied to the possibility of Trump returning to power in the United States, a man known for his unconditional support for Israel and his bold decisions that America had previously refrained from, such as moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem?

All of this and more leaves the region and Syria on a hotbed, with the people of the region, men and women alike, paying the highest price, leading to an increase in the number of displaced persons and refugees, whether Syrian, Lebanese, or Palestinian. With winter approaching and voices calling for essential needs to face it, amid a landscape of fragmented and conflicting international and regional decisions and interests that no one knows where or how they will settle.

We in the Syrian Women’s Political Movement believe that the international community and the United Nations must take necessary measures to ensure the implementation of international resolutions that make the region more stable and secure, including Resolution 2254 and all relevant international resolutions, particularly 2118 and the Geneva Communiqué, Resolution 1701 concerning Lebanon, and the two-state solution resolution regarding Palestine. Our peoples have endured severe hardship and continue to pay a heavy price. Unless stability is achieved and powerful, unchecked states in the region, namely Iran and Israel, are restrained, we will not have a safe future for decades to come.

The Political Committee of the Syrian Women’s Political Movement