Israel attacks terror targets in Syria
Israel has annexed the Golan Heights for security reasons. Nevertheless, rockets from Syria hit unpopulated areas. The Israeli air force bombs the aggressors during the night. A clear warning is also sent to Lebanon.
In response to the shelling of the annexed Golan Heights, Israel attacked targets in neighboring Syria. The air force targeted "terrorist infrastructure", the army announced in the morning. According to the army, two projectiles fired from Syria hit uninhabited areas on the Golan Heights on Saturday. An air alert was issued in the region.
Israel had already attacked Syrian targets on Friday after a drone, which according to the army was fired from Syria, hit an elementary school in Eilat in southern Israel. The drone only caused material damage. Israel has occupied the strategically important Golan Heights since the end of the Six-Day War in 1967 and annexed them in 1981. The international community still does not recognize the annexation.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had previously warned the Hezbollah militias in Lebanon of attacks on northern Israel. The Israeli air force would only deploy less than a tenth of its forces in the Gaza Strip. "Our pilots are sitting in the cockpit, the noses of the planes are pointed north. We have enough to do in the south, but the air force is facing north," he added.
Fear of escalation
Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, fears of an escalation of the war in the region have been growing. In particular, there are fears that Israel's existing conflicts with pro-Iranian groups in Syria and with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, which is allied with the Syrian government, could be further inflamed.
On October 7, hundreds of Hamas fighters invaded Israel and committed atrocities, mainly against civilians, including many children. According to updated Israeli figures, 1,200 people were killed in Israel and more than 240 people were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
Israel then declared war on Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the USA and the EU, and targeted the Palestinian organization's positions in the Gaza Strip. According to Hamas, which cannot be independently verified, more than 11,000 people have been killed since then, including 4,500 children.
In light of the ongoing conflicts with pro-Iranian groups in Syria and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, Israel's actions in Syria against terror targets could potentially escalate tensions. The Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had earlier warned of possible attacks on northern Israel, indicating a focus on the northern front.
Source: www.ntv.de
