Israel sees benefits in Syria’s Assad gains

JERUSALEM: Gains by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the Syrian civil war present advantages for Israel even though the two countries remain technically at war, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said yesterday, reports AFP. “In Syria, as far as we are concerned, the situation is returning to the previous one before the civil war, meaning there is a clear address, there is responsibility and there is a central government,” Lieberman told journalists while visiting Israeli air defences.

Before the civil war erupted in 2011, the ceasefire line between Syria and Israel was largely quiet for years. During the conflict, there has been occasional spillover fire to which Israel has responded. Assad told his troops on Wednesday they were close to victory after inflicting a succession of defeats on rebels.

It has also pledged to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria and a series of recent strikes that have killed Iranians in Syria have been attributed to Israel.

“We do not interfere or intervene in Syria’s internal affairs,” Lieberman said.

“But this is provided that all three points that are important to us are fulfilled.” The two countries remain technically at war. Meanwhile, an Israeli air strike has killed seven militants believed to be linked to the Islamic State group and seeking to infiltrate the country from the Syrian Golan Heights, the army said yesterday.

The military carried out the missile strike late Wednesday after the militants crossed a ceasefire line and came within a few hundred metres of the fence in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, spokesman Jonathan Conricus told journalists.

An Israeli aircraft “struck those seven suspects, and today in searches that have been completed on the ground by Israeli troops we found seven bodies in that location, we found five AK-47 assault rifles, we found explosive vests as well as what appears to be grenades,” Conricus said.

Israel sees benefits in Syrias Assad gains

JERUSALEM: Gains by President Bashar al-Assads forces in the Syrian civil war present advantages for Israel even though the two countries remain technically at war, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said yesterday, reports AFP. In Syria, as far as we are concerned, the situation is returning to the previous one before the civil war, meaning there is a clear address, there is responsibility and there is a central government, Lieberman told journalists while visiting Israeli air defences. Before the civil war erupted in 2011, the ceasefire line between Syria and Israel was largely quiet for years. During the conflict, there has been occasional spillover fire to which Israel has responded. Assad told his troops on Wednesday they were close to victory after inflicting a succession of defeats on rebels. It has also pledged to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria and a series of recent strikes that have killed Iranians in Syria have been attributed to Israel. We do not interfere or intervene in Syrias internal affairs, Lieberman said. But this is provided that all three points that are important to us are fulfilled. The two countries remain technically at war. Meanwhile, an Israeli air strike has killed seven militants believed to be linked to the Islamic State group and seeking to infiltrate the country from the Syrian Golan Heights, the army said yesterday. The military carried out the missile strike late Wednesday after the militants crossed a ceasefire line and came within a few hundred metres of the fence in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, spokesman Jonathan Conricus told journalists. An Israeli aircraft struck those seven suspects, and today in searches that have been completed on the ground by Israeli troops we found seven bodies in that location, we found five AK-47 assault rifles, we found explosive vests as well as what appears to be grenades, Conricus said.