BICOM

Mortar fire from the fighting in Syria spilled over into Israeli territory over the weekend for the third time in the past week.

The stray shell landed in the Israeli Golan Heights on Saturday. The mortar was assumed by Israel to have been errant fire from the ongoing Syrian civil war. It prompted the Israeli army to respond by firing at artillery positions belonging to Syrian government forces. Israel insisted that as the nominal ruling power in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad’s government, is responsible for such incidents.

An IDF statement said that al-Assad’s regime was “responsible for what occurs in its territory,” and that Israel would “not tolerate any attempt to harm the State of Israel’s sovereignty and the security of its residents”.

It was the third such incident during the past week. Although none have caused any injuries, one mortar damaged a road. On each occasion, the IDF responded by returning fire at Syrian army positions. Although Israel has remained firmly on the sidelines during the five-year Syrian civil war, stray fire has infrequently landed in Israel, prompting an IDF response.

The incident came as a ceasefire was brokered by the US and Russia over the weekend. Both the Syrian government and the vast majority of opposition groups have agreed to abide by the ceasefire, which is set to begin at sundown this evening. It is hoped that a truce will allow humanitarian aid to reach Syrian civilians in Aleppo and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, with the Syrian Druze village of Khader having come under attack adjacent to Israel’s border, Kulanu’s Druze MK Akram Hasson sharply criticised Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Many Druze on the Israeli Golan Heights have urged Israeli protection for Khader, criticising Israel’s policy of providing humanitarian medical treatment for all Syrians who arrive at the country’s border.