Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
On November 30, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that its fighter jets had struck infrastructure in Syria near the country’s border crossings with Lebanon which were being “actively” used by Hezbollah to transfer weapons.
The strike in Syria “was carried out following the identification of the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah from Syria to Lebanon, even after the ceasefire agreement, and constitutes a threat to the State of Israel, in violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” the military said in a statement.
Syria’s Sham FM, a pro-government radio station, reported that the strikes targeted areas near the town of al-Qusayr in the southwestern Homs countryside, without providing any further details.
The IDF also accused Hezbollah, with the support of the Syrian government, of using civilian border crossings to continue trying to bring weapons into Lebanon. Israel has vowed to prevent all attempts to transfer weapons to Hezbollah amid the ceasefire.
“The IDF will continue to act to remove any threat to the State of Israel that violates the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” the military added.
The Israeli strikes came amid a large-scale offensive by terrorist groups led by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham against government forces in northern Syria.
Damascus had accused Israel of backing the offensive, which saw terrorists entering the country’s largest city, Aleppo, and occupying dozens of towns in the the countryside of Idlib and Hama.
The offensive started early on November 27, around the same time the United States-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon came into effect. Speaking late on November 26, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Syria and said that President Bashar al-Assad was “playing with fire.”
During a security consultation on November 29, Netanyahu was told by senior intelligence officials that “Iranian infrastructure in Syria has been harmed, and much of it has been captured by the rebels,” according to a report by Israel’s Channel 12.
The officials also informed the prime minister that Hezbollah’s attention will now be shifted to Syria, and “so will its forces, in order to defend the Assad regime.” This, in turn, will bolster the likelihood of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire holding, Netanyahu was reportedly told.
The intelligence officials reportedly noted that “the latest developments appear to be positive.” But, they are said to have warned, “the collapse of the Assad regime would likely create chaos in which military threats against Israel would develop.”
The Israeli news channel also said that concerns were raised at the security consultation that “strategic capabilities” of Syria could fall into the jihadists’ hands. The prime concern relates to “the remnants of chemical weapons,” the report noted.
The IDF is said to be preparing for a scenario where Israel would be required to act, according to the report, which added that there is also an assessment that Syria might open its gates to a significant number of Iranian forces in order to try to stabilize the country.
All in all, Israel appears to be very optimistic about the advance of terrorist groups in Syria. IDF strikes on the country appear to be a form of support.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
what more proof does one need to see that usrael air force is helping the turkey backed terrorists? israhell and nato, even turkiye, is backing this offensive against the brave syrian people..
nuuuukes! 🇷🇺=🤡. 😆😆😆
i knew it! satanyahu, zelenskyy and al-julani are brothers of the same mother, fathered by a hundred psychos.
the semites both love imbreeding unfortunately
russia is the best friend of the zionist settlers in syria. syria needs a true friend. putin will happily divide syria between itself or the salafi terrorists and israhell if possible and in its interests. assad and the axis of resistance needs to lessen their dependence on the russians.
the jews support jihadis because they are jewhadis