Israel Warns of Sharaa’s Plans to Rebuild Syria’s Military, Defense Official Says

Israel’s defense establishment is increasingly focused on Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to rebuild Syria’s military, particularly systems that could restrict the Israel Defense Forces’ freedom of operation.

A senior Israeli defense official told Walla that Sharaa combines his past as an extremist jihadist leader with a sophisticated approach to foreign relations. He is working with the United States, moderate Sunni Arab states, Europe and other countries, the official said. “He knows how to speak to every audience and every person separately and adapt himself to the situation,” the official said.

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He knows how to speak to every audience and every person separately and adapt himself to the situation.

The official described Sharaa’s broader aim as expanding international legitimacy for his regime, distancing it from his past image and preparing conditions for countries and major corporations to invest in Syria. Stability is therefore important to the Syrian president, the official said. At the same time, Israel is concerned by his persistent efforts to rearm.

Those efforts include rehabilitating military bases and acquiring weapons systems that could challenge Israeli aircraft, including air-defense capabilities. Israel is also watching the rebuilding of Syria’s ground forces into companies, battalions and brigades, with divisions expected at a later stage. The official said Sharaa’s troops were not yet at a high level of operational readiness, but had already conducted several brigade-level exercises.

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He is working to expand the international legitimacy of his regime in order to distance himself from his past image and prepare the ground for countries and major corporations to invest in Syria, similar to Bashar Assad at the beginning of his rule. Therefore, stability in the country is critical for him.

“He is working to expand the international legitimacy of his regime in order to distance himself from his past image and prepare the ground for countries and major corporations to invest in Syria, similar to Bashar Assad at the beginning of his rule. Therefore, stability in the country is critical for him,” the official said. Israel is also concerned that elements hostile to it are establishing themselves in Syrian territory under the banner of cooperation and advising.

The official said Syria’s relationship with Turkey was more complicated than it appeared. Sharaa had benefited from Turkish support, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now wanted payment for Ankara’s help in bringing down Bashar Assad’s regime. “We are not taking any process lightly,” the official said, citing the capabilities that pickup trucks had demonstrated in Syria, Iraq and the Gaza Strip.

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We are not taking any process lightly.