Israeli leaders are closely watching the dramatic events unfolding in Syria, where opposition forces launched a surprise offensive on Wednesday, leading to the fall of Aleppo and Hama.
Kurdish forces also began to mobilize over the weekend to defend sections of Aleppo where Kurds are the majority population following the sudden conquest of the city Friday evening by the forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly the Jabhat al-Nusra Islamist group linked to Al Qaeda.
“We are constantly following the developments in Syria. We are determined both to protect the vital interests of the State of Israel, and to preserve the achievements of the war,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a brief statement last week.
Israeli security and defense officials meanwhile are watching the situation closely, while preparing for the possibility that important strategic assets could fall into the hands of Islamist rebel forces.