Wednesday Briefing

Syrian naval ships destroyed in an Israeli attack on the port city of Latakia.Credit…Aaref Watad/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Israel struck sites across Syria

Since Sunday, when it became clear that Syria was undergoing a historic change of regime, Israel has waged a sweeping aerial campaign. At least 350 airstrikes have leveled military assets across the country, taking out the Navy, fighter jets, drones, tanks, air-defense systems, weapons plants and other supplies, according to the Israeli military.

Israeli ground forces have also made their first overt entry into Syrian territory in more than 50 years. The U.N. special envoy for Syria called on Israel to halt its military operations.

Israeli military officials characterized the operations as defensive, saying it was striking suspected chemical weapons stockpiles to prevent them from falling “into the hands of extremists.” The rebel group that led the toppling of the president, Bashar al-Assad, was formerly linked to Al Qaeda and is still designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. and the U.N.

Even as rebels try to build a government after taking Damascus, armed groups with competing interests are still fighting for territory and power. In northern Syria, fierce fighting took place yesterday between rebels supported by Turkey and Kurdish forces backed by the U.S.

Here’s what else to know:

• The rebel alliance forming an interim government appointed Mohammed al-Bashir as prime minister. The alliance said it would hunt down and punish senior officials of the Assad regime who are implicated in torture and other abuses.

• President-elect Donald Trump vowed a hands-off approach to the changes in Syria. “This is not our fight. Let it play out. Do not get involved,” he wrote on social media.

• Our correspondent toured Assad’s monumental palace in Damascus. “It is wrecked now, but we want to fix it,” a fighter said.