STORY: On site in Damascus: Israeli airstrikes escalate in S. Syria
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 26, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 27, 2025
LENGTH: 00:03:34
LOCATION: Damascus
CATEGORY: POLITICS/MILITARY

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE (English): HUMMAM SHEIKH ALI, Xinhua reporter
2. various of the Syrian interim president delivering a speech
3. various of the protest outside the UN headquarter in Damascus
4. various of Damascus

STORYLINE:

SOUNDBITE (English): HUMMAM SHEIKH ALI, Xinhua reporter
"As Syria takes its first steps toward a new political era through the Syrian National Dialogue Conference, Israel has responded with a dramatic escalation in airstrikes across the country.
Overnight, Israeli warplanes targeted multiple military installations, including the First Division headquarters in Al-Kiswah, south of Damascus, and Brigade 112 in Daraa province. Explosions were also reported near the Syria-Lebanon border, with at least four confirmed deaths, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
This comes just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to prevent the presence of Syria's new military forces in the south, demanding a so-called 'demilitarized zone.' His remarks sparked mass protests across Syrian cities, with demonstrators rejecting what they call blatant Israeli interference in Syria's sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Syria's interim government, in its final conference statement, condemned Israel's military actions as a clear violation of international law, calling for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal. However, Israel insists its strikes are necessary to counter potential threats.
With tensions reaching new heights, all eyes are now on whether this escalation will further destabilize Syria's fragile political transition."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus.
(XHTV)