Israel carried out airstrikes across Syria, including in the capital Damascus, part of an ongoing campaign to weaken the country’s military capabilities following the overthrow of long-time leader Bashar al-Assad.

In the aftermath of al-Assad's removal on December 8, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, reported that Israeli forces targeted the Barzeh research facility, which Israel claims was involved in the production of guided missiles and chemical weapons.