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Ya’alon says Assad regime has used chemical weapons during Syria ceasefire
Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon told a conference yesterday that Syrian government forces have deployed crude chemical weapons since a ceasefire was declared in Syria last weekend.
The truce, which was announced jointly by the United States and Russia, came into force on Saturday and has largely been upheld. However, it does not apply to territory held by ISIS, the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front and other terror groups, which is thought to constitute around half of the country.
Assad told German television last week that, “We will do our part so that the whole thing works,” regarding the ceasefire. However, Ya’alon yesterday told a conference hosted by the New Tech military and aviation group in Airport City, near Tel Aviv, that “The Syrians used military grade chemical weapons and lately have been using materials, chlorine, against civilians, including in these very days, after the supposed ceasefire, dropping barrels of chlorine on civilians.” Although the Assad regime is believed to have surrendered much of its sophisticated chemical armoury, it is still thought to possess crude chemical barrel bombs, which have been used in opposition-held areas in the past.
The United Nations yesterday announced that Syrian peace talks, which were recently postponed, will be resumed next week in Geneva, in an attempt “to allow adequate time to address logistical and practical matters.”
Although Israel has sat firmly on the side-lines of the Syrian conflict, Israel is thought to have conducted air strikes against weapons shipments heading for Hezbollah on a number of occasions near the Syria-Lebanon border. In addition, several attacks have been launched against Israeli troops and positions near the Syrian border since the Syrian Civil War began, with Hezbollah backed by Iran thought to be encouraging a terror front against Israel.
In the meantime, Israeli armed forces continue to treat Syrians wounded in the civil war who arrive at the border. They are admitted to field hospitals with those seriously injured transported to hospitals in Israel.