The Cradle – Israeli Army ‘Preparing For Any Scenario’ In Syria: Officials
‘We want them to weaken one another’ officials told Israeli media about the battles between Al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked extremists against the Syrian army and its allies
The Israeli military said on 5 December that troops stationed near the Syrian border are “preparing for any scenario in attack and defense” as Turkish and US-backed extremists continue to overrun Syrian defenses in the west.
“The IDF will not allow a threat near the Syrian–Israeli border and will act to thwart any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel,” the statement stresses.
The warning comes mere weeks after the UN accused Tel Aviv of committing “serious violations” of a 50-year-old ceasefire agreement with Damascus by starting work on a ‘separation wall’ in the occupied Golan Heights similar to those erected along the borders with Lebanon, Egypt, Gaza, and throughout the West Bank.
As the situation in western Syria deteriorated on Thursday night, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi held an assessment meeting with the military’s top brass to discuss their next move.
According to local reports, following the meeting, the army declared a state of “maximum alert” near the border with Syria.
“[Israel’s interest is] that they continue fighting one another … It’s entirely clear to us that one side is Salafi jihadists and the other side is Iran and Hezbollah. We want them to weaken one another,” an Israeli official told the Times of Israel.
