Israel fears Syria's Sharaa is rearming while courting global legitimacy, defense official warns

Israel's defense establishment is concerned about Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's efforts to rearm while simultaneously seeking global legitimacy, a senior defense official told Walla on Tuesday. Sharaa is described as "super sophisticated" in advancing his regime's interests with various international actors, aiming to expand international legitimacy and attract investment, similar to Bashar Assad's early rule. Concurrently, he is working to rehabilitate military bases and acquire weapons systems that could restrict the IDF's operations, particularly the Israel Air Force. The official noted Sharaa's efforts to rebuild Syria's ground forces and his allowance of hostile elements to establish themselves in Syrian territory. Despite apparent positive relations, complications exist between Syria and Turkey, and hostility towards Iran and Hezbollah is also present within the Sharaa regime. Israel is also troubled by terrorist activity in southern Syria, with the IDF remaining on high alert.