Israel hits back at Hezbollah-backed militants in Syria
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Alaina
- . August 6, 2020
- . Update: August 6, 2020 1:26 am
On Tuesday, after visiting one of its military bases on its northern border Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a message for Lebanon-based Hezbollah who has been sending militants into the country from Syria. He said, “We hit a cell and now we hit the dispatchers. We will do what is necessary in order to defend ourselves. I suggest to all of them, including Hezbollah, to consider this.”
Israeli leader’s warning to the Hezbollah came after tension rose at Israeli-Syrian border and the situation intensified on Monday night when Israeli military jets hit back at Syrian fighters, and Hezbollah militants for attempting to plant explosive devices in the Golan Heights along the border.
Israeli military said that among the targets, which it hit on a Monday night included observation posts, intelligence-collection systems, antiaircraft artillery facilities and a command-and-control center belonging to the Syrian military.“The Israel Defense Forces holds the Syrian government responsible for all activities originating from Syrian soil, and will continue operating with determination against any violation of Israeli sovereignty,” the military statement said.
Last month, Israeli government raised the issue of Iranian proxies and Hezbollah backed militants sent to its border, following which the US top military official General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made an emergency visit to Israel to discuss escalating tensions between Israel and Iran-backed militant group, Hezbollah.
Few weeks ago Israeli forces hit Syrian army targets in response to offensive launched by Syrian fighters, along with Lebanese Shi’ite militants toward the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In a precautionary move, Israeli forces has moved more units to its northern frontier, where it shares border with Lebanon and Syria. Israeli forces said that it had “elevated its readiness against various potential enemy actions”.
Hezbollah, used its alliance with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to deploy militants in Syria to attack its ideological and regional enemy Israel. Hezbollah’s association with Assad stems from Iranian-backed efforts to wipe out protests against his rule in 2011. Assad also has a vested interest in its fight against Israel, as latter captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war. On the other said, Israel views Iran’s increasing regional influence, extremist propaganda and its nuclear program as one of the main threats to the region’s peace and stability.
