BICOM

Syrian rebels seized the border town of Quneitra, the only border crossing on the demilitarised zone between Israel and Syria Thursday morning. It is unclear which rebel groups are involved, and whether they will  be able to hold the site.

Israel has so far avoided getting involved in two year old conflict, and fears either Sunni Jihadist groups or the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group may use the Golan as a base to attack Israel.

Meanwhile, the Arab League yesterday denounced the military involvement of Hezbollah in the Syrian civil war on the same day that Hezbollah captured the strategic town of Qusair on behalf of Syrian president Assad.

At a meeting of the body’s constituent foreign ministers in Cairo, Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby issued a statement expressing “strong condemnation” of all foreign intervention in Syria, particularly that by Hezbollah. Over the past week Hezbollah has openly lead the Assad regime’s offensive to capture the Syrian town of Qusair from opposition groups. It became clear yesterday that Hezbollah has succeeded in taking control of Qusair, with the Telegraph reporting that Hezbollah ground forces were supported by Syrian government jets and artillery. Qusair is strategically important for coastal access, links to Lebanon and control of the centre of Syria. The Times suggests that thousands of Hezbollah fighters will now launch an offensive against opposition forces controlling Syria’s largest city, Aleppo.

The Arab League statement yesterday follows criticism of Hezbollah on Tuesday by Egypt’s national security advisor Essam El-Haddad, who described the organisation’s activities as a “crime” and a “mistake.”

Earlier this week, discussions began in Brussels among European Union (EU) member states over a UK government proposal that the EU proscribe Hezbollah’s military wing a terrorist organisation, a move which would likely seriously hamper its’ financial and logistical capability. However, this morning’s Jerusalem Post indicates that Ireland, which currently holds the rotating EU Presidency, is leading the opposition of several EU member states to the UK initiative, on the basis that it could destabilise Lebanon.

In a separate development, two mortars from Syria landed overnight in open space near the Israel-Syria border on the Golan Heights. Over the past several months, there have been numerous instances of Syrian fire landing on Israeli territory.