ISRAELI troops closed in on Syria’s capital Damascus yesterday under cover of heavy air strikes, a Syrian opposition war monitor said yesterday.

Even though Israeli forces drew within 15 miles of the Syrian capital Israel is denying that its forces are advancing toward Damascus. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz did, however, boast of having destroyed the Syrian naval fleet as it was docked in port, as Israel takes advantage of chaos in Syria to smash the state’s military capacity.

Heavy air strikes were heard in the capital overnight and into Tuesday on the city and its suburbs. Photographs circulating online showed destroyed missile launchers, helicopters and warplanes.

There was no immediate comment from the insurgents — led by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — that have taken control of Damascus.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed credit for regime change in Syria.

“I told the heads of the authorities in the south that ‘we will change the face of the Middle East,’” he said.

“The state of Israel is establishing its position as a centre of power in our region, as it has not been for decades. Those who co-operate with us, benefit greatly. Whoever attacks us loses big,” he said.

Israel had already seized a roughly 155-square-mile buffer zone inside Syria that had been established after the 1973 Middle East war, a move it said was taken to prevent attacks in the aftermath of the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.

Israel has also said that it is striking suspected chemical weapons sites and heavy weapons to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists. 

Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said: “Reports circulating in the media about the alleged advancement of Israeli tanks towards Damascus are false.”

But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Beirut-based Mayadeen TV, which has reporters in Syria, said Israeli troops are advancing up the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon.

The Britain-based Observatory accused Israel of carrying out more than 300 air strikes across the country since Sunday.

Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have all condemned Israel’s invasion, accusing it of exploiting the disarray in Syria and violating international law.

“The assaults carried out by the Israeli occupation government, including the seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, and the targeting of Syrian territory confirm Israel’s continued violation of the principles of international law and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

Mohammed al-Bashir, the former head of the Turkey-backed Syrian Salvation Government in Idlib, has now been named interim Syrian prime minister, with government ministries saying they are co-operating with the new HTS-led regime.