Occupied Palestine | فلسطين

Israeli military activities increase in Golan and Al-Ja’ouna


Middle East Monitor | Aug 29, 2013

Amid the talk about a possible military strike on Syria, unusual numbers of Israeli soldiers have moved into the occupied Syrian Golan. Also, an Israeli military drill took place on Wednesday at the Rosh Pinna Airport in Al-Ja’ouna. According to local sources in the Golan, the area has been witnessing unusual levels of military movements over the past few days.

The sources described such military movements as heavy, saying that tremendous blasts could be heard. The sources added that occupation forces have evacuated residents of the southern area at the entrance to Majdal Shams, due to the very loud sound of explosions heard in the area.

The Israeli forces have also asked the remaining residents to keep the windows of their homes open so that their windows don’t break as a result of the high sound of the blasts. The sources also said that Israel continues to build the high steel fence that it had started building in the area of Buq’ata.

In a similar report, Ynet stated that the Security and Emergency forces in the occupied Syrian Golan started a two-day drill on Wednesday. “During the exercise, security forces will be in the area and residents may hear gunfire and explosives,” Ynet said.

It added that an IDF spokesperson stressed that the two-day military exercise was pre-planned as part of its 2013 training program and is designed to maintain competency and alert readiness for the occupation’s security and emergency forces. The Rosh Pinna airport has also been witnessing emergency military drills.

During the drill, blasts could be heard and heavy rescue vehicle traffic was registered. The airport’s director Yosef Glasberg said that there was no connection between the drill and the reports of a possible American-led attack on Syria. He stressed that the military exercise was pre-planned, and that it usually takes place once or twice a year with the goal of training teams to deal with emergencies.

Glasberg added that the drill simulates scenarios like the firing of gunfire on the airport, the kidnapping of passengers, and the seizure of the airport.



Live Blog | Israel Attacks Syria

Maan News Agency | May 4, 2013

Israeli F-16 warplanes take part in a military display marking Israel’s
60th anniversary in 2008. (AFP/Jack Guez, File)

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Israel conducted an airstrike in Syria overnight targeting a weapons shipment headed for Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, US media reported.

CNN said US and Western intelligence agencies were reviewing information suggesting Israel likely conducted a strike in the night from Thursday to Friday, just as Israel was flying many warplanes over Lebanon.

But the United States does not believe Israeli warplanes entered Syrian airspace to conduct the strikes, it added.

A senior US official told NBC News that the airstrikes were likely tied to delivery systems for chemical weapons.

White House and Pentagon officials declined to comment on the reports.

But Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was quoted as telling an audience that Israel had indeed bombed Syria.

“Israel bombed Syria tonight,” Graham was cited by the Politico news website as saying in passing, without offering any further details.

Graham, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, was speaking at the South Carolina Republican Party’s annual Silver Elephant fundraising dinner.

If confirmed, this would mark the second time that Israel has conducted airstrikes on Syria this year.

Earlier this month, it implicitly admitted carrying out a January airstrike on a weapons convoy in Syria thought to be en route to Lebanon’s Hezbollah — a long-time Damascus ally.

The reports on the latest strike came shortly after President Barack Obama nearly ruled out deploying US troops to Syria, saying he did not foresee a scenario in which that would be beneficial to the United States or Syria.

Speculation has mounted that the Obama administration could reverse its opposition to arming the rebels after the White House said last week that President Bashar Assad likely used chemical weapons on his people.

Obama has been reluctant to intervene in the war but faces mounting criticism that he has allowed the Assad regime to cross his own declared “red line” on using chemical weapons.


Syria: ‘Israeli strike’ hits Damascus army centre

Video by Al Jazeera



Related News



May 5, 2013




May 6, 2013


Related Topics

 



SPECIAL TOPIC – PALESTINIAN REFUGEES