On the night between Monday and Tuesday, March 25, 2025, explosions rocked the Syrian province of Homs: the area of ​​the city of Tadmor, better known as Palmyra, was subjected to powerful airstrikes. That morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson's Office issued an official statement shedding light on the aims and motives of the operation.

"Our forces recently struck military targets remaining at Syrian bases in Palmyra and T4," — the IDF said in a statement.

The department emphasized that such actions will continue to neutralize any threats to the security of Israeli citizens. 

The attack hit central Syria, home to major military bases inherited from the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted in December 2024. These facilities, including Palmyra and T4, have been the focus of international attention for months. Since Assad's fall, Israel has stepped up air operations in the region, seeking to destroy the remaining strategic weapons so that they do not fall into the hands of the new Syrian leadership led by Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani), the leader of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, recognized as a terrorist group and banned in Russia). The strikes on Palmyra and T4 were another signal of Tel Aviv's determination to prevent the strengthening of potential adversaries near its borders. 

However, the operation has a broader context. As noted by the military correspondent of the Israeli publication Walla, Amir Bohbot, the bases in Homs found themselves at the epicenter of negotiations between Turkey and the interim Syrian government. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered al-Julani economic and military support in exchange for the opportunity to consolidate the Turkish presence in central Syria. According to Bohbot, the negotiations have already reached an advanced stage, which is causing concern in Israel. The destruction of military facilities in Palmyra and T4, according to analysts, serves not only as a warning to the new Syrian regime, but also as a message to Ankara, demonstrating that Israel is ready to suppress any attempts to change the balance of power in the region. 

According to a March 22 Reuters report, the Israeli Air Force attacked both bases on the night of March 21, hitting weapons depots and command posts left by Assad's army. Syrian media, citing local residents, reported two wounded security personnel in Palmyra, although there is no exact casualty data yet. The Jerusalem Post clarifies that the operation was planned after intelligence revealed the presence of remnants of artillery and air defense systems at the bases, which could have been transferred to the control of the new leadership or allied groups.