Russia, a staunch ally of Syria, strongly condemned Israel’s air strikes on Damascus international airport, labeling them as provocative and perilous. Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, expressed concern that Sunday’s attacks could escalate tensions in the region, particularly in the aftermath of the Gaza war.
In a statement, Zakharova declared,
“We strongly condemn Israel’s latest provocative attack on an important Syrian civilian infrastructure facility.” She emphasized the potential for such actions to have extremely dangerous consequences, especially given the heightened situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone.
Since its intervention in Syria’s civil war in 2015 in support of President Bashar al-Assad, Russia has cultivated ties with various actors in the region, including Iran and Hamas, both of which are adversaries of Israel. Relations between Russia and Israel have strained further during the Gaza war, with Moscow underscoring the plight of Palestinian civilians and hosting a delegation of senior Hamas officials.
Reports from the Syrian army and a pro-government newspaper indicated that Sunday’s Israeli air strikes rendered Damascus airport inoperable, leading to the diversion of incoming flights to alternate destinations.
