Israel Acknowledges It Hit Targets Near The Syrian Capital
The Israeli military, in a rare acknowledgement, said it attacked targets in Syria shortly after an anti-aircraft missile was fired into northern Israel early Wednesday.
The Israeli military, in a rare acknowledgement, said it attacked targets in Syria shortly after an anti-aircraft missile was fired into northern Israel early Wednesday.
Syrian state media said a soldier was killed and five others were wounded in the Israeli attack near the capital Damascus
Israel said the Syrian rocket exploded in the air and was not intercepted by Israeli air defenses, but it activated warning sirens in northern Israel.
There were no reports of injuries or damage there.
In a rare statement acknowledging attacks inside Syria, the Israeli army said it struck Syrian facilities used in targeting Israeli aircraft, including a radar and anti-aircraft batteries.
Syrian official news agency SANA reported that Israel fired surface-to-surface missiles in the vicinity of the capital city Damascus and some of them were brought down by air defenses.
Israel has made hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria mostly since 2017, but its government rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations.
Israel also targets Iranian weapons shipments and depots in Syria, primarily to prevent Hezbollah from expanding its arsenal of missiles and other heavy weapons.
Israel has acknowledged, however, that it is targeting bases of Iran-allied militias, such as Hezbollah, which is fighting on the side of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces in the country’s civil strife.
Salam Zawai presented her credentials to Raisi on Tuesday, replacing her father Salah Zawawi who was the Palestinian authority’s ambassador to Tehran for over 40 years.
Her appointment by President Mahmoud Abbas drew criticism and accusations of corruption and nepotism from some Palestinians. When Zawawi's father became ambassador, Yasser Arafat was the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
During the meeting, she congratulated the Iranian president on the anniversary of Iran’s revolution, describing it as a victory for the Arab and Muslim world, and slammed regional countries for their normalization of ties with Israel.
Iran, as Israel’s archenemy, has sharply criticized the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for the US-brokered Abraham Accords normalizing relations with Israel in 2020. Common fear of Iran was a factor behind the move.
Zawawi expressed hope for the formation of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital, where she said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei can lead prayers.
Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz paid a visit to Bahrain amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf after missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement.
