Syrian airports damaged by Israeli strikes remain closed, longest shutdown since 2011

Shafaq News / The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that both Damascus and Aleppo airports remained out of service due to simultaneous Israeli strikes that targeted them a month ago, marking the longest period of closure since the conflict erupted in 2011.

Since the onset of the conflict, Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria, targeting Syrian army positions and other groups aligned with Tehran, including Hezbollah, the Lebanese organization struck by Israel twice just yesterday.

According to the Observatory, all flights to and from Damascus International Airport, the largest and primary airport in the country, have ceased since October 22nd due to Israeli strikes on its main runways. Similar strikes on the same day also rendered Aleppo International Airport out of service, as announced by the Syrian Ministry of Transport at the time.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the director of the observatory, informed AFP that both airports have remained closed to air traffic since October 22nd, despite repairs to the runways damaged during the Israeli airstrikes.

Israel has escalated its targeting of Syrian territories since Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7th. Since then, Israel has responded with intense airstrikes in Gaza, coinciding with weeks of ground operations.