The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad has led to a face-off between Turkey and Israel in Syria, where both countries have deployed forces. Relations between Turkey and the Jewish state were already strained over the Gaza war,

The cantonization of Israel's northern neighbor would 'ensure the safety of the northern border and allow Israel to actively defend itself against threats from rebel groups'

The risk of Syria becoming the stage for a direct conflict between Turkey and Israel must be seriously addressed, an Israeli government commission has warned. Turkey could even come to pose a greater threat to Israel via its presence in Syria than Iran did through its alliance with the Bashar al-Assad regime that fell a month ago,

"We see a lot of airflights coming in to Damascus, and a lot of meetings with high officials," says Israeli Foreign Ministry Director General Eden Bar Tal during a press conference in Jerusalem as he warns the international community about Syria's new authorities and their change in appearance that "disguise the real essence of this group.

Israel blew up an Iran sponsored Syrian missile factory after its elite commandos raided it last September. The missiles posed an existential threat to Israel amid its war against Tehran's proxies.

A main road in the provincial capital of Quneitra in southern Syria was blocked with mounds of dirt, fallen palm trees and a metal pole that appeared to have once been a traffic light. On the other side of the barriers,

Israel’s continued military operations in Syria, which it said on Sunday are intended to “strengthen the defense of Israel’s citizens,” have drawn accusations from the United Nations and some member states that Israel is violating a decades-long cease-fire by sending its troops within and beyond a buffer zone between the countries.

A U.S. sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria is welcome, but "much more significant work ... will inevitably be necessary," the U.N. special envoy on Syria, Geir Pedersen,

"Many people think the United States saves Israel, but the truth is that today Israel's role is to save the United States from itself," this surprising statement by Dr. Michael Doran, an American expert on the Middle East,

"Our problem is not with Israel. We don't want to meddle in anything that will threaten Israel's security," Damascus Governor Maher Marwan tells NPR. Syria and Israel have never had diplomatic ties.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an extremist group led by ex-al-Qaeda member Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has seized control of Syria after ousting Bashar al-Assad, raising fears in Israel and the U.S. about regional instability and terrorism.