Israel weighs in on Syria SDF-govt clashes as thousands flee fighting

Israel on Thursday weighed in on the deadly clashes between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Aleppo, characterising the fighting as an attack on the country's Kurdish minority.

Israel, which has carried out near-daily attacks on its Syria, has often intervened in on issues affecting Syria's fledgling government, particularly relating to intercommunal tensions. It has previously openly stated its desire to partition Syria on ethnic and sectarian lines.

"Attacks by the Syrian regime's forces against the Kurdish minority in the city of Aleppo -- are grave and dangerous... Systematic and murderous repression of Syria's various minorities contradicts the promises of a 'new Syria'," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X.

The deadly clashes erupted this week after the two sides failed to implement a March deal to merge the Kurds' semi-autonomous administration and military into Syria's new government.

The Kurds are pushing for decentralised rule, an idea which Syria's new authorities have rejected.

Saar said the violence in Aleppo could increase if the international community remained silent.

"The international community in general, and the West in particular, owes a debt of honour to the Kurds who fought bravely and successfully against ISIS," Saar said.

Deadly clashes

Syrian government forces carried out strikes on the SDF-controlled neighbourhoods of Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsood on Thursday, a correspondent for The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

The attacks followed warnings from the army for civilians to evacuate the areas before 1pm local time.

State news agency SANA, citing the army, said the military would begin “targeted operations” against the SDF in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh and Bani Zaid half an hour after that deadline.

For its part, the SDF said it was engaged in clashes with Syrian security forces in the Al-Surian district, while SANA reported that the group had targeted the Sheikh Taha neighbourhood and the Lairamoun and Shihan roundabout areas with heavy machine gun fire.

Health authorities in Aleppo said early on Thursday that at least four civilains had been killed by SDF fire, with 33 other injured.

As of Wednesday, more than 46,000 people had been displaced across the province, according to Aleppo’s Directorate of Social Affairs and Labour.

Agencies contributed to this report.