BICOM

Israeli is deeply concerned about the spread of chemical weapons in the Middle East and has instructed Israeli Ambassadors in 15 countries to raise the issue at the highest levels, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 10 news yesterday. The Israeli Foreign Ministry sent a top secret cable to its Ambassadors with details about Iranian, Syrian and Hezbollah chemical weapons activity.

Israel fears poison gas could spread to Israel if the Assad regime uses chemical weapons against rebels near the Golan Heights. The Foreign Ministry cable says: “Such an incident will mandate a harsh response by Israel.” The Foreign Ministry also asked its ambassadors to emphasise that Iran’s entrenchment in Syria could increase the Islamic Republic’s desire to carry out additional attacks on Israel, which would lead to an escalation of hostilities in the entire region.

Israeli diplomats will ask the international community to pressure Iran to stop attempting to encircle Israel via Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria; work to prevent Hezbollah from purchasing, assembling or manufacturing precision missiles which might be used to target Israel and make sure Iran disengages from Syria and removes its military forces from the country. The cable read: “Israel does not want an escalation but has an obligation to defend itself”.

The Syrian Government yesterday denied that it possessed chemical weapons and branded the use of such arms “immoral and unacceptable.” The denial followed a warning from French President Emmanuel Macron that he would launch air strikes if proof emerged that the Syrian regime had used banned chemical weapons against its civilians.