(ANTIWAR) — The Israeli army is in regular contact with Syrian rebel forces, and has been providing them with growing amounts of aid over the course of the Syrian Civil War, not just providing medical aid to the wounded, as has previously been reported, but also giving rebel factions food, fuel, and even money to pay their fighters’ salaries and buy ammunition.
Those familiar with the Israeli aid say that it’s gotten so prevalent that Israel’s military is actually setting aside a specific part of their budget for aid to be provided to Syrian rebels, while Syrian rebels openly praise how deep the Israeli aid has gotten, crediting it for their continued operation as rebel forces.
One of the rebel factions, the Knights of the Golan, receives an estimated $5,000 from Israel every month. The group is not affiliated with any umbrella group and it appears Israel’s stipend is a significant chunk of this group’s operating budget.
The UN Observer Force in Syria is a bit less upbeat about that, saying that Israel’s interaction with the rebels has been growing precipitously in recent months, and that this could trigger growing clashes between the rebels and Syrian forces in the southern Syria, putting the observers at risk.
Israel officially doesn’t admit to any of this, beyond providing medical aid to wounded rebels, and of course attacking Syrian military bases regularly across the nation’s south. The direct aid is all under the table, but less of a secret all the time.
By Jason Ditz / Republished with permission / AntiWar.com / Report a typo
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