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Syrian shells land on Golan Heights, Netanyahu visits wounded Syrians
Two mortar shells from the fighting in Syria exploded in Israeli territory on the Golan Heights yesterday afternoon.
The shells landed in an open area near the Israel-Syria border and did not cause any injuries or damage. Army Radio reported that the mortars had “likely been erroneously fired into Israel” as Syrian government forces fought opposition groups on the other side of the border.
However, the incident was the latest during the past few months in which mortar and gunfire from fighting in Syria has landed on Israeli territory. More often than not the Israeli military has determined errant Syrian fire to be unintentional. In December, Israeli troops returned fire when small arms were directed towards them and in October, two Israeli soldiers were wounded when mortar fire struck a military outpost. In July, an IDF border patrol came under fire while a month previously fighting between Syrian government and opposition forces reached Quneitra, just dozens of metres from Israeli military positions.
Also yesterday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Golan Heights with Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon and IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz. Netanyahu spent time at an IDF field hospital in the area which is treating wounded Syrian civilians. Israeli hospitals have treated hundreds of injured Syrians since the Syrian conflict began. Netanyahu commented that, “This place separates the good in the world from the evil in the world” contrasting the “true face of Israel” which “saves lives from the daily slaughter taking place in Syria” with the “true face of Iran” which he said, “is arming those who are carrying out the slaughter.” He emphasised that the Syrians killed and wounded “were harmed as a result of Iran arming, financing and training the Assad regime in the mass slaughter it is perpetrating.”
Netanyahu also received a briefing from Head of Northern Command Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, who outlined the presence of jihadist elements in Syria and updated Netanyahu on fortifications to the border fence.