Voice of Russia
May 6, 2013
Syria-Israel: on the eve of war?
Konstantin Garibov
Syrian missiles have been directed against Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories after Israeli warplanes struck several military facilities near the Syrian capital Damascus late last week.
According to Syrian sources, Damascus will launch missile strikes on “specific targets” in case of a new aggression. Additionally, Damascus has given the green light to Palestinian groups carrying out military operations against Israel in the Golan Heights.
For its part, Israel deployed two batteries of its Iron Dome rocket defense system to the Syrian-Israeli border in anticipation of retaliation from Damascus, which has already described Israel’s airstrikes as a “declaration of war.”
On April 5, Israeli warplanes struck areas outside Damascus as they targeted a weapons cache and a military research center. Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, however, reported that the planes targeted a shipment of Iranian-made guided missiles, believed to be bound for Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group.
Some sources say that about 300 soldiers were killed in the strikes, while others put the death toll at 4 people.
Meanwhile, Syria’s Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi has warned that Israel’s aggression may lead to a full-fledged war in the region.
“Israel’s airstrikes open the door wide to all possibilities in the region. These airstrikes confirm coordination between Israel and terrorist groups,” Al-Zohbi said.
The May 5 attack was the second such strike Israel has launched in the past three days. On Friday, Israeli warplanes bombed a convoy carrying Iranian-made missiles from Syria to Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, says Yevgeny Satanovsky, head of the Moscow-based Institute for Middle Eastern Studies.
“All that has happened may well be seen as a tacit rehearsal of a potential war between Iran and Israel…,” Satanovsky said.
In a statement on Monday, the Egyptian President’s press service condemned Israel’s airstrikes on Syria that it said violate international law and further exacerbate the situation in the region.
The Arab League, for its part, urged the UN Security Council to “act immediately” to end the attacks.
In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his visit to China on Monday, refusing to comment on his country’s airstrikes on Syria.
There were reports about Israel’s Cabinet meeting ahead of Netanyahu visit, with no results made public. Other senior Israeli officials also refused to comment on the airstrikes.
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