14 june 2013
An updated analysis carried out by data specialists on behalf of the UN Human Rights Office has led to the compilation of a list of 92,901 documented cases of individuals killed in Syria between March 2011 and the end of April 2013, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay announced Thursday.
"The constant flow of killings continues at shockingly high levels – with more than 5,000 killings documented every month since last July, including a total of just under 27,000 new killings since 1 December," Pillay said. "Unfortunately, as the study indicates, this is most likely a minimum casualty figure. The true number of those killed is potentially much higher."
The latest study -- which updates an earlier one that compiled some 60,000 documented deaths up to 30 November 2012 -- was conducted using a combined list of 263,055 reported killings, fully identified by the name of the victim, as well as the date and location of the death. Any reported killing that did not include at least these three elements was excluded from the list, which was compiled using datasets from eight different sources.
Each reported killing was compared to all the other reported killings in order to identify duplicates. The analysis used manual classifications and a data mining technique called an 'alternating decision tree' to identify the duplicate records. After duplicates were merged, the combined dataset was reduced to 92,901 unique records of conflict-related deaths as of 30 April 2013.
The statistical analysts who produced the report noted that, despite the possibility of some duplicate or erroneously reported deaths being included, this total is likely to underestimate the actual number of killings. This conclusion is based on the fact that 37,988 reported killings containing insufficient information were excluded from the analysis, and that there is a strong likelihood that a significant number of killings may not have been reported at all by any of the eight sources.
The analysis shows a dramatic increase in the average monthly number of documented killings since the beginning of the conflict, from around 1,000 per month in the summer of 2011 to an average of more than 5,000 per month since July 2012 (during the peak period from July to October 2012, the number exceeded 6,000 per month).
"This extremely high rate of killings, month after month, reflects the drastically deteriorating pattern of the conflict over the past year," Pillay said. "As clearly indicated in the latest report by the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, civilians are bearing the brunt of widespread, violent and often indiscriminate attacks which are devastating whole swathes of major towns and cities, as well as outlying villages. Government forces are shelling and launching aerial attacks on urban areas day in and day out, and are also using strategic missiles and cluster and thermobaric bombs. Opposition forces have also shelled residential areas, albeit using less fire-power, and there have been multiple bombings resulting in casualties in the heart of cities, especially Damascus."
While the study stresses that the accuracy of geographical patterns may be affected by variable reporting by the different data sources, it shows that the greatest number of documented killings has been recorded in the Governates of Rural Damascus (17,800), Homs (16,400), Aleppo (11,900) and Idlib (10,300); followed by Daraa (8,600), Hama (8,100), Damascus (6,400) and Deir ez-Zor (5,700).4
The sharpest increases since November 2012 were recorded in Rural Damascus and Aleppo with 6,200 and 4,800 new documented deaths respectively. Totals of more than 1,000 documented deaths have been recorded in a further six Governates since November 2012.
Some 82.6 percent of the victims documented so far are male, while 7.6 percent are female. The gender of the victim is not indicated in 9.8 percent of cases.
The analysis was not able to differentiate consistently between combatants and non-combatants, and around three-quarters of the reported killings do not record the victim's age.
Nevertheless, "the killings of at least 6,561 minors, including at least 1,729 children under ten years old – have been documented," the High Commissioner said. "There are also well-documented cases of individual children being tortured and executed, and entire families, including babies, being massacred – which, along with this devastatingly high death toll, is a terrible reminder of just how vicious this conflict has become."
"I urge the parties to declare an immediate ceasefire before tens of thousands more people are killed or injured," Pillay said. "Nobody is gaining anything from this senseless carnage. And States with influence could, if they act collectively, do a lot more to bring the conflict to a swift end, thereby saving countless more lives. The only answer is a negotiated political solution. Tragically, shamefully, nothing will restore the 93,000 or more individual lives already lost."
"The constant flow of killings continues at shockingly high levels – with more than 5,000 killings documented every month since last July, including a total of just under 27,000 new killings since 1 December," Pillay said. "Unfortunately, as the study indicates, this is most likely a minimum casualty figure. The true number of those killed is potentially much higher."
The latest study -- which updates an earlier one that compiled some 60,000 documented deaths up to 30 November 2012 -- was conducted using a combined list of 263,055 reported killings, fully identified by the name of the victim, as well as the date and location of the death. Any reported killing that did not include at least these three elements was excluded from the list, which was compiled using datasets from eight different sources.
Each reported killing was compared to all the other reported killings in order to identify duplicates. The analysis used manual classifications and a data mining technique called an 'alternating decision tree' to identify the duplicate records. After duplicates were merged, the combined dataset was reduced to 92,901 unique records of conflict-related deaths as of 30 April 2013.
The statistical analysts who produced the report noted that, despite the possibility of some duplicate or erroneously reported deaths being included, this total is likely to underestimate the actual number of killings. This conclusion is based on the fact that 37,988 reported killings containing insufficient information were excluded from the analysis, and that there is a strong likelihood that a significant number of killings may not have been reported at all by any of the eight sources.
The analysis shows a dramatic increase in the average monthly number of documented killings since the beginning of the conflict, from around 1,000 per month in the summer of 2011 to an average of more than 5,000 per month since July 2012 (during the peak period from July to October 2012, the number exceeded 6,000 per month).
"This extremely high rate of killings, month after month, reflects the drastically deteriorating pattern of the conflict over the past year," Pillay said. "As clearly indicated in the latest report by the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, civilians are bearing the brunt of widespread, violent and often indiscriminate attacks which are devastating whole swathes of major towns and cities, as well as outlying villages. Government forces are shelling and launching aerial attacks on urban areas day in and day out, and are also using strategic missiles and cluster and thermobaric bombs. Opposition forces have also shelled residential areas, albeit using less fire-power, and there have been multiple bombings resulting in casualties in the heart of cities, especially Damascus."
While the study stresses that the accuracy of geographical patterns may be affected by variable reporting by the different data sources, it shows that the greatest number of documented killings has been recorded in the Governates of Rural Damascus (17,800), Homs (16,400), Aleppo (11,900) and Idlib (10,300); followed by Daraa (8,600), Hama (8,100), Damascus (6,400) and Deir ez-Zor (5,700).4
The sharpest increases since November 2012 were recorded in Rural Damascus and Aleppo with 6,200 and 4,800 new documented deaths respectively. Totals of more than 1,000 documented deaths have been recorded in a further six Governates since November 2012.
Some 82.6 percent of the victims documented so far are male, while 7.6 percent are female. The gender of the victim is not indicated in 9.8 percent of cases.
The analysis was not able to differentiate consistently between combatants and non-combatants, and around three-quarters of the reported killings do not record the victim's age.
Nevertheless, "the killings of at least 6,561 minors, including at least 1,729 children under ten years old – have been documented," the High Commissioner said. "There are also well-documented cases of individual children being tortured and executed, and entire families, including babies, being massacred – which, along with this devastatingly high death toll, is a terrible reminder of just how vicious this conflict has become."
"I urge the parties to declare an immediate ceasefire before tens of thousands more people are killed or injured," Pillay said. "Nobody is gaining anything from this senseless carnage. And States with influence could, if they act collectively, do a lot more to bring the conflict to a swift end, thereby saving countless more lives. The only answer is a negotiated political solution. Tragically, shamefully, nothing will restore the 93,000 or more individual lives already lost."
11 june 2013
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Press TV has conducted an interview with E. Michael Jones, editor of Culture Wars Online Magazine, about a senior Israeli minister saying that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may win the battle against the foreign-backed insurgents.
What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview. Press TV: Now no matter what Israeli officials do to refute this claim, it is quite obvious that Israeli officials as well as government officials in the West are coming to this realization that the Syrian government does have the upper hand, it is gaining momentum and it does have the backing of the people? |
Jones: Yes well he is only stating the obvious. After the capture of al-Qusayr, after the capture of that crucial crossroad, it is obvious that the government now has the initiative in the battle and now they moved the battle on to Aleppo.
So yes, he is only stating the obvious, there is nothing that anyone can refute by what he says no matter how high they are in the government.
I think what we are seeing here though is the playing out of the fatal flaw of United States foreign policy here which became apparent when John Kerry became Secretary of State succeeding Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton’s policy of supporting these Salafists and the Takfiri backfired when Kerry said they could not give them any more weapons. I think this was a crucial turning point in the whole war in Syria. He didn't trust the Takfiris, he thought they are going to use them against Israel and so he did not give them the weapons and at that point they lost the initiative and the government gained the initiative.
Press TV: Mr. Jones, let me just cut in there. Looking at now how the Syrian government has made massive advances in Syria, do you think that the US and its allies are now going to reassess their approach considering that they have put a lot in this one basket of hoping to overthrow the Assad government?
Jones: Yes they are going to have to and I am sure that the Israel lobby and its representatives like John McCain and Lindsey Graham are going to argue for putting American troops on the ground in Syria but that is not going to work now.
Obama is in a very weak position right now. He has been attacked by The New York Times over the whole NSA phone tapping scandal. So he is just not in a position to follow in the footsteps of all those marines that got killed in Lebanon under Ronald Reagan. It is just not going to happen.
The whole point of using the Salafists and the Takfiri was to keep American troops off the ground and they seem to had success in Libya and so supposedly followed up by success in Syria but the entrance of Russia into that battle, the fact that they drew a line in the sand just ended that. So I think they are going to have to negotiate the settlement now.
Press TV: But what about the US allies within the region? Syria already has Israel on one side and also has Turkey which has deployed Patriot missiles from the US and now the F-16 fighter jets just from the US as well as Patriot missiles are being deployed on the border with Jordan. Do you think that the US can make use of its allies within the region as sort of a last resort?
Jones: No they are both stalemate. Turkey is stalemated because Erdogan has a home-grown anti-capitalist revolution on his hands over that park in Ankara.
Israel is stalemated because they played their one card, they attacked Damascus airport with what some people are claiming it was a tactical nuclear weapon and that brought the Russians in with their S-300s which has checkmated Israel. They can't do that again. Their planes will be shot down.
So at the same time the supply line from Hezbollah through Iraq, Syria-Iraq to Iran has [helped]. So they have their supply lines open whereas the Salafists supply lines are going to be cut. So I think they gonna have to negotiate.
So yes, he is only stating the obvious, there is nothing that anyone can refute by what he says no matter how high they are in the government.
I think what we are seeing here though is the playing out of the fatal flaw of United States foreign policy here which became apparent when John Kerry became Secretary of State succeeding Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton’s policy of supporting these Salafists and the Takfiri backfired when Kerry said they could not give them any more weapons. I think this was a crucial turning point in the whole war in Syria. He didn't trust the Takfiris, he thought they are going to use them against Israel and so he did not give them the weapons and at that point they lost the initiative and the government gained the initiative.
Press TV: Mr. Jones, let me just cut in there. Looking at now how the Syrian government has made massive advances in Syria, do you think that the US and its allies are now going to reassess their approach considering that they have put a lot in this one basket of hoping to overthrow the Assad government?
Jones: Yes they are going to have to and I am sure that the Israel lobby and its representatives like John McCain and Lindsey Graham are going to argue for putting American troops on the ground in Syria but that is not going to work now.
Obama is in a very weak position right now. He has been attacked by The New York Times over the whole NSA phone tapping scandal. So he is just not in a position to follow in the footsteps of all those marines that got killed in Lebanon under Ronald Reagan. It is just not going to happen.
The whole point of using the Salafists and the Takfiri was to keep American troops off the ground and they seem to had success in Libya and so supposedly followed up by success in Syria but the entrance of Russia into that battle, the fact that they drew a line in the sand just ended that. So I think they are going to have to negotiate the settlement now.
Press TV: But what about the US allies within the region? Syria already has Israel on one side and also has Turkey which has deployed Patriot missiles from the US and now the F-16 fighter jets just from the US as well as Patriot missiles are being deployed on the border with Jordan. Do you think that the US can make use of its allies within the region as sort of a last resort?
Jones: No they are both stalemate. Turkey is stalemated because Erdogan has a home-grown anti-capitalist revolution on his hands over that park in Ankara.
Israel is stalemated because they played their one card, they attacked Damascus airport with what some people are claiming it was a tactical nuclear weapon and that brought the Russians in with their S-300s which has checkmated Israel. They can't do that again. Their planes will be shot down.
So at the same time the supply line from Hezbollah through Iraq, Syria-Iraq to Iran has [helped]. So they have their supply lines open whereas the Salafists supply lines are going to be cut. So I think they gonna have to negotiate.
The military victory for Syria’s government forces in the strategic central town of Qusayr last week was a watershed event for several reasons. But of the crucial turning points heralded by this event, one is inimitably clear - the Western powers, the would-be emperors of Syria, stand naked in their failed criminal conspiracy to destroy that country.
These would-be emperors - Washington and the region’s former - has been colonial powers, Britain and France - have been shown demonstratively to have not a shred of credibility. The emperors have no clothes and they are running for cover.
The Syrian army now has the upper-hand and the momentum towards outright victory in a conflict that has ransacked large swaths of the Levantine nation, resulting in up to 80,000, mainly civilian, deaths, and causing 4-5 million internal and external refugees.
Western-backed insurgents are being destroyed or routed from villages and towns across Syria as the Syrian army moves swiftly on to its next objective of freeing the country’s second major city, Aleppo, in the north. That clash may prove a more bloody and protracted fight than the three-week campaign to retake Qusayr. But, given their withering loss of fighters and the severance from key supply routes through Qusayr, the eventual defeat of insurgents in Aleppo looks all but assured.
The recapture of Aleppo, and shutting off the NATO weapons supply line from Turkey in the north, would then prove to be the last stand for the foreign-backed mercenaries. These mercenaries have been terrorizing Syria since March 2011 at the behest of NATO powers and their regional allies, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Western agenda of regime change to oust President Bashar al-Assad is therefore, in a word, a dead letter.
But perhaps a more telling repercussion from the victory in Qusayr is the stripping bare of the ugly face of Western imperialism in Syria and the wider region.
The routing of the mercenaries who had laid siege to Qusayr for the past year showed more clearly than even the largely foreign component of the so-called Free Syrian Army and the minimal support among the Syrian population for this outfit of Al Qaeda-linked extremists. The FSA should henceforth be known as the Foreign Supplied Army. Without foreign supplies, there is no FSA, and there never would have been one in the first place.
Why were the 30,000 inhabitants of Qusayr obliged to hide in their homes for the past year while gangs of Libyan, Egyptian, Tunisian, Saudi, Chechen, Yemeni, French and British self-styled jihadists and, yes, local Syrian criminal opportunists, roamed the streets, looting and brutalizing?
When these Western-backed killers and bandits were eventually run out of Qusayr last Wednesday, why did the inhabitants greet the Syrian army and their Lebanese Hezbollah comrades with relief and gratitude? Why have street celebrations been held in Qusayr feting the restoration of civilian life?
Why did thousands of Qusayr’s residents flee the town over the past year? Of course, it was to escape from the Western-backed so-called “rebels” who imposed their draconian, twisted fundamentalist tyranny that they have adopted from their Saudi and Qatari paymasters. This is the same kind of tyranny that is being imposed on the suffering communities of Aleppo still under the control of the mercenaries.
This week, reports emerged of a 14-year-old boy in Aleppo who was executed in a public square by foreign gunmen because he allegedly blasphemed over a cup of coffee. He was sentenced to death by a kangaroo court before being shot twice in the head in front of his mother and father.
Why is it that now those inhabitants who had fled Qusayr - Muslim, Sunni, Shia, Alawite, Christian alike - are returning to the resumed safety of their town to pick-up their hitherto peacefully co-existing lives?
None of these questions are being asked in the mainstream Western media, or off Western politicians, since the fall of Qusayr. Incredibly, the Western media coverage on Syria seems stricken by a sudden muteness over the past week, as if crippled by a huge spanner tossed into its wheels. Conveniently, the news agenda seems to have inexplicably moved on to other matters.
At this juncture, what Western governments and their media propaganda system want most to avoid is for the Western public to see the naked, glaring truth: that these governments and media have been lying for the past two years about what is going on in Syria. This country is not undergoing a pro-democracy uprising, supported by Syrian people and benevolent Western powers. Rather, Syria has been subjected to a criminal covert war of aggression by Western powers for selfish strategic interests in the oil and gas-rich Middle East. This kind of conspiracy is what war criminals at Nuremburg were hanged for.
Qusayr has made Western government crimes in the Middle East abundantly clear. And that is why the story is being discarded down the Western media memory hole.
So let’s drag it out of the memory hole. To achieve their illicit objectives, Western governments have secretly funneled weapons, money, Special Forces and networks of foreign cutthroat killers into a sovereign country to terrorize its people into submitting to their agenda for regime change. The blood of 80,000 Syrian people is on the hands of Western presidents, prime ministers and their foreign diplomats: Barack Obama, David Cameron, Francois Hollande, John Kerry, William Hague and Laurent Fabius. They all stand accused and should be tried before a war crimes tribunal.
When Syrian army forces retook the bombed-out, sabotaged town of Qusayr, the façade of Western pretense and propaganda was demolished forever.
Now, as with the dregs of the retreating insurgents, Western governments are running scared from the damning exposure. This week the White House is to hold a series of emergency meetings on Syria. US Secretary of State John Kerry has had to cancel a tour of the Middle East in order to attend those meetings. On the cards for discussion is the US moving towards sending weapons and other lethal aid openly to its Foreign Supplied Army in Syria - a desperate move that probably won’t happen because the Western criminal agenda has already been defeated. The Obama administration - assailed by other scandals and imploding legitimacy among the American people and the wider world - is in no position to step up criminality in the Middle East.
The Associated Press reports, “[Syrian] opposition leaders [that is, Western stooges] have warned Washington that their rebellion could face devastating, irreversible losses without greater support.”
That one sentence says it all. The emperors have no clothes.
These would-be emperors - Washington and the region’s former - has been colonial powers, Britain and France - have been shown demonstratively to have not a shred of credibility. The emperors have no clothes and they are running for cover.
The Syrian army now has the upper-hand and the momentum towards outright victory in a conflict that has ransacked large swaths of the Levantine nation, resulting in up to 80,000, mainly civilian, deaths, and causing 4-5 million internal and external refugees.
Western-backed insurgents are being destroyed or routed from villages and towns across Syria as the Syrian army moves swiftly on to its next objective of freeing the country’s second major city, Aleppo, in the north. That clash may prove a more bloody and protracted fight than the three-week campaign to retake Qusayr. But, given their withering loss of fighters and the severance from key supply routes through Qusayr, the eventual defeat of insurgents in Aleppo looks all but assured.
The recapture of Aleppo, and shutting off the NATO weapons supply line from Turkey in the north, would then prove to be the last stand for the foreign-backed mercenaries. These mercenaries have been terrorizing Syria since March 2011 at the behest of NATO powers and their regional allies, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Western agenda of regime change to oust President Bashar al-Assad is therefore, in a word, a dead letter.
But perhaps a more telling repercussion from the victory in Qusayr is the stripping bare of the ugly face of Western imperialism in Syria and the wider region.
The routing of the mercenaries who had laid siege to Qusayr for the past year showed more clearly than even the largely foreign component of the so-called Free Syrian Army and the minimal support among the Syrian population for this outfit of Al Qaeda-linked extremists. The FSA should henceforth be known as the Foreign Supplied Army. Without foreign supplies, there is no FSA, and there never would have been one in the first place.
Why were the 30,000 inhabitants of Qusayr obliged to hide in their homes for the past year while gangs of Libyan, Egyptian, Tunisian, Saudi, Chechen, Yemeni, French and British self-styled jihadists and, yes, local Syrian criminal opportunists, roamed the streets, looting and brutalizing?
When these Western-backed killers and bandits were eventually run out of Qusayr last Wednesday, why did the inhabitants greet the Syrian army and their Lebanese Hezbollah comrades with relief and gratitude? Why have street celebrations been held in Qusayr feting the restoration of civilian life?
Why did thousands of Qusayr’s residents flee the town over the past year? Of course, it was to escape from the Western-backed so-called “rebels” who imposed their draconian, twisted fundamentalist tyranny that they have adopted from their Saudi and Qatari paymasters. This is the same kind of tyranny that is being imposed on the suffering communities of Aleppo still under the control of the mercenaries.
This week, reports emerged of a 14-year-old boy in Aleppo who was executed in a public square by foreign gunmen because he allegedly blasphemed over a cup of coffee. He was sentenced to death by a kangaroo court before being shot twice in the head in front of his mother and father.
Why is it that now those inhabitants who had fled Qusayr - Muslim, Sunni, Shia, Alawite, Christian alike - are returning to the resumed safety of their town to pick-up their hitherto peacefully co-existing lives?
None of these questions are being asked in the mainstream Western media, or off Western politicians, since the fall of Qusayr. Incredibly, the Western media coverage on Syria seems stricken by a sudden muteness over the past week, as if crippled by a huge spanner tossed into its wheels. Conveniently, the news agenda seems to have inexplicably moved on to other matters.
At this juncture, what Western governments and their media propaganda system want most to avoid is for the Western public to see the naked, glaring truth: that these governments and media have been lying for the past two years about what is going on in Syria. This country is not undergoing a pro-democracy uprising, supported by Syrian people and benevolent Western powers. Rather, Syria has been subjected to a criminal covert war of aggression by Western powers for selfish strategic interests in the oil and gas-rich Middle East. This kind of conspiracy is what war criminals at Nuremburg were hanged for.
Qusayr has made Western government crimes in the Middle East abundantly clear. And that is why the story is being discarded down the Western media memory hole.
So let’s drag it out of the memory hole. To achieve their illicit objectives, Western governments have secretly funneled weapons, money, Special Forces and networks of foreign cutthroat killers into a sovereign country to terrorize its people into submitting to their agenda for regime change. The blood of 80,000 Syrian people is on the hands of Western presidents, prime ministers and their foreign diplomats: Barack Obama, David Cameron, Francois Hollande, John Kerry, William Hague and Laurent Fabius. They all stand accused and should be tried before a war crimes tribunal.
When Syrian army forces retook the bombed-out, sabotaged town of Qusayr, the façade of Western pretense and propaganda was demolished forever.
Now, as with the dregs of the retreating insurgents, Western governments are running scared from the damning exposure. This week the White House is to hold a series of emergency meetings on Syria. US Secretary of State John Kerry has had to cancel a tour of the Middle East in order to attend those meetings. On the cards for discussion is the US moving towards sending weapons and other lethal aid openly to its Foreign Supplied Army in Syria - a desperate move that probably won’t happen because the Western criminal agenda has already been defeated. The Obama administration - assailed by other scandals and imploding legitimacy among the American people and the wider world - is in no position to step up criminality in the Middle East.
The Associated Press reports, “[Syrian] opposition leaders [that is, Western stooges] have warned Washington that their rebellion could face devastating, irreversible losses without greater support.”
That one sentence says it all. The emperors have no clothes.
7 june 2013
Israeli soldiers patrol next to the border fence on border with Syria, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
Fearful that the Syrian civil war, jihadist terrorists or Lebanese Hezbollah fighters will spill into Israel, the country’s military engineers are rushing to complete their latest “smart fence,” this one in the occupied Golan Heights. Here along the tense boundary with Syria, fighting raged Thursday as Syrian rebels and government forces battled for control of a crossing in the latest violent incident that is inching the Syrian war closer to Israeli-held territory.
As the threat of spillover mounts, Israel is replacing an old, broken-down fence — so low that a goat could hop over it — with an intimidating steel barricade. The fortification features concertina and razor wire, touch sensors, motion detectors, infrared cameras and ground radar.
When the 45-mile fence is finished in the coming months, Israel will have taken another big step in surrounding itself with barriers. Rather than tearing down old walls, Israel is rebuilding and bolstering its ring of ground fortifications, even as old threats such as Palestinian suicide bombers have receded and new ones such as a potential nuclear-armed Iran arise.
The Israelis build the world’s most sophisticated fences, drawing international delegations that want to see the latest in barrier technology. But some Israelis worry that the fences are a metaphor for weakness as much as they are for strength and that the barriers have increased a sense of isolation.
“For me, the message is clear: The idea of peace with our neighbors is going away, and the fences are a symbol of that reality,” said retired Brig. Gen. Nachman Shai, a member of the Israeli parliament and a former chief spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces.
Israeli military commanders say the fences work, offering protection against crowds of protesters and incursions by gun smugglers, illegal migrants and enemies who travel on foot. At the same time, they concede that in the battlefield of today and tomorrow, the barriers do little to protect Israel from long-range rockets fired from Lebanon, Iran or the Gaza Strip.
Last month, while on an official visit to China, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invoked a tourist site that reminded him of home.
“Just like the Chinese protected themselves and defended themselves with the Great Wall,” Netanyahu said, “so we will continue to defend ourselves on the southern border, the Golan Heights and on all fronts.”
‘Fortress Israel’
The Israeli fence network is almost complete — in the north, along the Lebanon border, where the militant organization Hezbollah is the threat; to the northeast, along the Golan Heights boundary with Syria; to the south, abutting Egypt’s lawless Sinai Peninsula.
Israeli military engineers are drawing up plans for a final stretch along the peaceful border with Jordan from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea.
The fence line — and the accompanying watch towers, patrol roads, intelligence centers and military brigades — stretch across vast deserts to snowy mountains, along river valleys and into the Mediterranean surf.
Fearful that the Syrian civil war, jihadist terrorists or Lebanese Hezbollah fighters will spill into Israel, the country’s military engineers are rushing to complete their latest “smart fence,” this one in the occupied Golan Heights. Here along the tense boundary with Syria, fighting raged Thursday as Syrian rebels and government forces battled for control of a crossing in the latest violent incident that is inching the Syrian war closer to Israeli-held territory.
As the threat of spillover mounts, Israel is replacing an old, broken-down fence — so low that a goat could hop over it — with an intimidating steel barricade. The fortification features concertina and razor wire, touch sensors, motion detectors, infrared cameras and ground radar.
When the 45-mile fence is finished in the coming months, Israel will have taken another big step in surrounding itself with barriers. Rather than tearing down old walls, Israel is rebuilding and bolstering its ring of ground fortifications, even as old threats such as Palestinian suicide bombers have receded and new ones such as a potential nuclear-armed Iran arise.
The Israelis build the world’s most sophisticated fences, drawing international delegations that want to see the latest in barrier technology. But some Israelis worry that the fences are a metaphor for weakness as much as they are for strength and that the barriers have increased a sense of isolation.
“For me, the message is clear: The idea of peace with our neighbors is going away, and the fences are a symbol of that reality,” said retired Brig. Gen. Nachman Shai, a member of the Israeli parliament and a former chief spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces.
Israeli military commanders say the fences work, offering protection against crowds of protesters and incursions by gun smugglers, illegal migrants and enemies who travel on foot. At the same time, they concede that in the battlefield of today and tomorrow, the barriers do little to protect Israel from long-range rockets fired from Lebanon, Iran or the Gaza Strip.
Last month, while on an official visit to China, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invoked a tourist site that reminded him of home.
“Just like the Chinese protected themselves and defended themselves with the Great Wall,” Netanyahu said, “so we will continue to defend ourselves on the southern border, the Golan Heights and on all fronts.”
‘Fortress Israel’
The Israeli fence network is almost complete — in the north, along the Lebanon border, where the militant organization Hezbollah is the threat; to the northeast, along the Golan Heights boundary with Syria; to the south, abutting Egypt’s lawless Sinai Peninsula.
Israeli military engineers are drawing up plans for a final stretch along the peaceful border with Jordan from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea.
The fence line — and the accompanying watch towers, patrol roads, intelligence centers and military brigades — stretch across vast deserts to snowy mountains, along river valleys and into the Mediterranean surf.
The Israeli regime is scrambling to finish the construction of a 45-mile fence along the Syrian border in the occupied Golan Heights, a report says.
According to a Friday report by the Washington Post, the new “smart fence” is equipped with concertina and razor wire, touch sensors, motion detectors, infrared cameras and ground radar.
The Tel Aviv regime claims to be bolstering an already broken-down fence built in the area for the fear that the foreign-backed turmoil in Syria might spill over into the occupied Palestinian territories, the report said.
On Thursday, anti-Syria militants briefly took over the Quneitra crossing between Syria and the Golan Heights. However, the Syrian army later moved in and recaptured the area.
According to the Post, some Israelis, however, believe that the regime’s barricading itself has increased a ‘sense of isolation.’
While the Israeli fence network is almost complete, the Israeli military is also drawing up plans for a final stretch along the Jordanian barrier. Watch towers, patrol roads, intelligence centers and military brigades would also be built along the fence line, the report said.
In January, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the regime had completed the construction of the main part of a 230-kilometer-long fence along the Egyptian border.
From the north, the Tel Aviv regime has also built a similar fence along the Lebanese border.
According to a Friday report by the Washington Post, the new “smart fence” is equipped with concertina and razor wire, touch sensors, motion detectors, infrared cameras and ground radar.
The Tel Aviv regime claims to be bolstering an already broken-down fence built in the area for the fear that the foreign-backed turmoil in Syria might spill over into the occupied Palestinian territories, the report said.
On Thursday, anti-Syria militants briefly took over the Quneitra crossing between Syria and the Golan Heights. However, the Syrian army later moved in and recaptured the area.
According to the Post, some Israelis, however, believe that the regime’s barricading itself has increased a ‘sense of isolation.’
While the Israeli fence network is almost complete, the Israeli military is also drawing up plans for a final stretch along the Jordanian barrier. Watch towers, patrol roads, intelligence centers and military brigades would also be built along the fence line, the report said.
In January, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the regime had completed the construction of the main part of a 230-kilometer-long fence along the Egyptian border.
From the north, the Tel Aviv regime has also built a similar fence along the Lebanese border.
6 june 2013
Syrian rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces have overtaken the Quneitra crossing on the Israel-Syria border in the occupied Golan Heights on Thursday, Israeli media reported.
Israel army radio, quoting military officials, announced that the "Quneitra crossing has fallen to rebels."
The sole border crossing between Syria and Israel fell following a heavy exchange of fire, during which a mortar shell landed in a UN camp in the Golan Heights, forcing Israeli forces to close off the area, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said she could not confirm the report when contacted by Ma'an.
The report follows condemnation by the US of a Hezbollah-backed assault by the Syrian regime on the town of Qusayr, as France kept up the pressure for action over what it said was the regime's use of sarin gas.
Israel occupied the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967.
Syria militants take over crossing in Golan Heights: Israel radio
Reports say the militants in Syria have taken over the Quneitra crossing between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
On Thursday, the Israeli army radio quoted military officials as saying that the foreign-backed militants have seized the crossing after clashing with Syrian troops.
Reports say clashes are going on in the city of Quneitra, which is located near the crossing.
Israeli sources said there were exchanges of fire there, adding that the incident was ongoing.
The report comes after Syria’s state television reported on Wednesday, “Our heroic armed forces have returned security and stability to all of the town of Qusayr.”
Many of the foreign-backed militants and members of the armed groups were killed or injured during the Syrian army operations to cleanse the western town of the terrorists.
Syrian troops backed by the forces of Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah entered Qusayr from several directions on May 19 after weeks of clashes with militants.
Qusayr has been an important center and supply route for the militants.
The foreign-sponsored militancy that has gripped Syria for more than two years has so far resulted in the killings of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.
Liberation of Qusayr major blow to Israel, US: Hezbollah
Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement says the Syrian army’s liberation of the strategic town of Qusayr is a major blow to the Israeli regime and the United States.
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem made the remarks in a statement issued after the Syrian army gained full control of the town on Wednesday.
"The battle today has only one significance, and that is the fight against Israel, and those who support its plans," Qassem said, adding, "Today we proved without any doubt that the gamble to topple Syria is a delusional plan."
The Hezbollah deputy secretary general also called for a political solution to end the unrest in Syria.
The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Damascus says the West and its regional allies, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.
In an interview broadcast on Turkish television in April, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that if the militants take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East region for decades.
“If the unrest in Syria leads to the partitioning of the country, or if the terrorist forces take control… the situation will inevitably spill over into neighboring countries and create a domino effect throughout the Middle East and beyond,” he stated.
Israel army radio, quoting military officials, announced that the "Quneitra crossing has fallen to rebels."
The sole border crossing between Syria and Israel fell following a heavy exchange of fire, during which a mortar shell landed in a UN camp in the Golan Heights, forcing Israeli forces to close off the area, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said she could not confirm the report when contacted by Ma'an.
The report follows condemnation by the US of a Hezbollah-backed assault by the Syrian regime on the town of Qusayr, as France kept up the pressure for action over what it said was the regime's use of sarin gas.
Israel occupied the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967.
Syria militants take over crossing in Golan Heights: Israel radio
Reports say the militants in Syria have taken over the Quneitra crossing between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
On Thursday, the Israeli army radio quoted military officials as saying that the foreign-backed militants have seized the crossing after clashing with Syrian troops.
Reports say clashes are going on in the city of Quneitra, which is located near the crossing.
Israeli sources said there were exchanges of fire there, adding that the incident was ongoing.
The report comes after Syria’s state television reported on Wednesday, “Our heroic armed forces have returned security and stability to all of the town of Qusayr.”
Many of the foreign-backed militants and members of the armed groups were killed or injured during the Syrian army operations to cleanse the western town of the terrorists.
Syrian troops backed by the forces of Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah entered Qusayr from several directions on May 19 after weeks of clashes with militants.
Qusayr has been an important center and supply route for the militants.
The foreign-sponsored militancy that has gripped Syria for more than two years has so far resulted in the killings of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.
Liberation of Qusayr major blow to Israel, US: Hezbollah
Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement says the Syrian army’s liberation of the strategic town of Qusayr is a major blow to the Israeli regime and the United States.
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem made the remarks in a statement issued after the Syrian army gained full control of the town on Wednesday.
"The battle today has only one significance, and that is the fight against Israel, and those who support its plans," Qassem said, adding, "Today we proved without any doubt that the gamble to topple Syria is a delusional plan."
The Hezbollah deputy secretary general also called for a political solution to end the unrest in Syria.
The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Damascus says the West and its regional allies, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.
In an interview broadcast on Turkish television in April, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that if the militants take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East region for decades.
“If the unrest in Syria leads to the partitioning of the country, or if the terrorist forces take control… the situation will inevitably spill over into neighboring countries and create a domino effect throughout the Middle East and beyond,” he stated.
Senior Hamas official Salah Al-Bardawil categorically denied news reports about differences between Hamas political and military leaders regarding the Syrian crisis and described these reports as illusions and hostile to the Palestinian resistance. In a press statement to Quds Press, Bardawil expressed his regret and dismay at a report published by the London-based newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi about the position of his Movement towards Syria and its relations with Hezbollah and Iran.
He emphasized that what came in the report was unfounded fabrications and Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, are strongly loyal and committed to the decisions issued by its political leadership.
He added that Al-Qassam Brigades' only job is to defend Palestine and its people militarily and does not interfere in the political work of its leadership.
"The Hamas Movement with its different wings work as a high-level democratic consultative organization, and no decision can be taken without the consent of everyone," the Hamas official underlined.
"All this is part of the media smear campaign that is led by the nation's enemies and some secular lackeys who felt they have no weight in the conflict between Israel and the Islamists, and unfortunately Al-Quds Al-Arabi involved itself in such lies," Bardawil said.
For his part, spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades Abu Obeida also denied the claims that was reported by Al-Quds Al-Arabi from an unknown source about its position towards the situation in Syria and its sending of a massage to its political leadership in this regard.
Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper had quoted what it described as an informed source from Hamas that Al-Qassam Brigades made up its mind to maintain its alliance with Hezbollah and Iran as a strategy to liberate Palestine from the occupation after the Arab money failed to liberate an inch of the occupied lands.
The newspaper claimed that the armed wing of Hamas expressed to its political leadership its rejection of the accusations that had been made lately by Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi against Hezbollah during a Friday Khutba (sermon) attended by head of Hamas's political leader Khaled Mashaal in Doha.
He emphasized that what came in the report was unfounded fabrications and Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, are strongly loyal and committed to the decisions issued by its political leadership.
He added that Al-Qassam Brigades' only job is to defend Palestine and its people militarily and does not interfere in the political work of its leadership.
"The Hamas Movement with its different wings work as a high-level democratic consultative organization, and no decision can be taken without the consent of everyone," the Hamas official underlined.
"All this is part of the media smear campaign that is led by the nation's enemies and some secular lackeys who felt they have no weight in the conflict between Israel and the Islamists, and unfortunately Al-Quds Al-Arabi involved itself in such lies," Bardawil said.
For his part, spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades Abu Obeida also denied the claims that was reported by Al-Quds Al-Arabi from an unknown source about its position towards the situation in Syria and its sending of a massage to its political leadership in this regard.
Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper had quoted what it described as an informed source from Hamas that Al-Qassam Brigades made up its mind to maintain its alliance with Hezbollah and Iran as a strategy to liberate Palestine from the occupation after the Arab money failed to liberate an inch of the occupied lands.
The newspaper claimed that the armed wing of Hamas expressed to its political leadership its rejection of the accusations that had been made lately by Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi against Hezbollah during a Friday Khutba (sermon) attended by head of Hamas's political leader Khaled Mashaal in Doha.
31 may 2013
This close-up provided by Syrian state-run television shows the passport of a British citizen (left) and that of Nicole Lynn Mansfield (right), who both died in a gunfight with Syrian government forces in Idlib Province
Syrian Army troops have killed an American woman and two Britons fighting alongside foreign-backed militants in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.
Syrian state-run television reported on Thursday that the 33-year-old Michigan woman, identified as Nicole Lynn Mansfield, and the two others were members of al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.
They were ambushed by Syrian government forces in their car while traveling through Idlib.
Television footage showed a black car riddled with bullets, and three bodies laid out with multiple gunshot wounds.
It also showed a cache of weapons, a computer, a hand-drawn map of a government installation, and a flag belonging to the terrorist group al-Nusra Front.
Mansfield’s family members say two FBI agents interviewed them and confirmed to them reports on her death.
Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of government forces, have been killed in the violence.
Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
The Syrian government says the West and its regional allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are supporting the militants.
Several international human rights organizations have accused militants operating in Syria of committing war crimes.
Syrian Army troops have killed an American woman and two Britons fighting alongside foreign-backed militants in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.
Syrian state-run television reported on Thursday that the 33-year-old Michigan woman, identified as Nicole Lynn Mansfield, and the two others were members of al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.
They were ambushed by Syrian government forces in their car while traveling through Idlib.
Television footage showed a black car riddled with bullets, and three bodies laid out with multiple gunshot wounds.
It also showed a cache of weapons, a computer, a hand-drawn map of a government installation, and a flag belonging to the terrorist group al-Nusra Front.
Mansfield’s family members say two FBI agents interviewed them and confirmed to them reports on her death.
Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of government forces, have been killed in the violence.
Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
The Syrian government says the West and its regional allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are supporting the militants.
Several international human rights organizations have accused militants operating in Syria of committing war crimes.
30 may 2013
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he is "very confident" his troops will defeat foreign-backed militants in the country, adding that Syria will respond to any possible future Israeli attacks.
"There is a world war being waged against Syria and the policy of (anti-Israeli) resistance ... (but) we are very confident of victory," Assad said in an interview broadcast by the Lebanese television Al-Manar on Thursday.
The comments came on the same say that the Syrian Army killed a number of militants from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front terrorist group in intense clashes in the al-Rihaniyya district of the city, located 348 kilometers (216 miles) northwest of Damascus.
Assad also said that there was "popular pressure" to open a military front against Israel on the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
"There are several factors, including repeated Israeli aggression," he said, referring to Israeli air strikes on Syria.
"We have informed all the parties who have contacted us that we will respond to any Israeli aggression next time," he said.
On May 5, Syria said the Israeli regime had carried out an airstrike targeting a research center in a suburb of Damascus, following heavy losses of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups at the hands of the Syrian army. According to Syrian media reports, Israeli rockets struck the Jamraya Research Center.
The Jamraya facility was also targeted in an Israeli airstrike in January.
The May 5 attack came shortly after Tel Aviv confirmed that its warplanes had hit another target in Syria on May 3.
The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Damascus says the West and its regional allies, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he is "very confident" his troops will defeat foreign-backed militants in the country, adding that Syria will respond to any possible future Israeli attacks.
"There is a world war being waged against Syria and the policy of (anti-Israeli) resistance ... (but) we are very confident of victory," Assad said in an interview broadcast by the Lebanese television Al-Manar on Thursday.
The comments came on the same say that the Syrian Army killed a number of militants from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front terrorist group in intense clashes in the al-Rihaniyya district of the city, located 348 kilometers (216 miles) northwest of Damascus.
Assad also said that there was "popular pressure" to open a military front against Israel on the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
"There are several factors, including repeated Israeli aggression," he said, referring to Israeli air strikes on Syria.
"We have informed all the parties who have contacted us that we will respond to any Israeli aggression next time," he said.
On May 5, Syria said the Israeli regime had carried out an airstrike targeting a research center in a suburb of Damascus, following heavy losses of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups at the hands of the Syrian army. According to Syrian media reports, Israeli rockets struck the Jamraya Research Center.
The Jamraya facility was also targeted in an Israeli airstrike in January.
The May 5 attack came shortly after Tel Aviv confirmed that its warplanes had hit another target in Syria on May 3.
The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Damascus says the West and its regional allies, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.
29 may 2013
The Syrian government says it will give an immediate response to any possible future attacks by the Israeli regime.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said in an interview with Lebanese TV station al-Mayadeen on Wednesday that any response from Damascus will be given without a warning.
“Syria will not let any Israeli aggression go unanswered without retaliation. The retaliation will be the same size as the aggression, and the same type of weapons will be used,” the Syrian foreign minister stated.
Muallem said that Syria would take part in the upcoming talks in Geneva without any precondition, adding that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would remain president until the next presidential election scheduled to be held in 2014.
"From now until the next elections, President Bashar al-Assad is the president of the Syrian Arab Republic," he said.
The Syrian foreign minister also noted that any deal reached in the Geneva talks, due to be held possibly next month, would be put to a referendum inside Syria.
"If it wins the support of the Syrian people, we will go ahead with it," Muallem said.
He reiterated that many militants from over 28 countries, including Arab neighboring countries and some European states, are fighting against the government.
The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Damascus says the West and its regional allies, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.
In an interview recently broadcast on Turkish television, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that if the militants take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East region for decades.
“If the unrest in Syria leads to the partitioning of the country, or if the terrorist forces take control… the situation will inevitably spill over into neighboring countries and create a domino effect throughout the Middle East and beyond,” he stated.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said in an interview with Lebanese TV station al-Mayadeen on Wednesday that any response from Damascus will be given without a warning.
“Syria will not let any Israeli aggression go unanswered without retaliation. The retaliation will be the same size as the aggression, and the same type of weapons will be used,” the Syrian foreign minister stated.
Muallem said that Syria would take part in the upcoming talks in Geneva without any precondition, adding that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would remain president until the next presidential election scheduled to be held in 2014.
"From now until the next elections, President Bashar al-Assad is the president of the Syrian Arab Republic," he said.
The Syrian foreign minister also noted that any deal reached in the Geneva talks, due to be held possibly next month, would be put to a referendum inside Syria.
"If it wins the support of the Syrian people, we will go ahead with it," Muallem said.
He reiterated that many militants from over 28 countries, including Arab neighboring countries and some European states, are fighting against the government.
The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Damascus says the West and its regional allies, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.
In an interview recently broadcast on Turkish television, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that if the militants take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East region for decades.
“If the unrest in Syria leads to the partitioning of the country, or if the terrorist forces take control… the situation will inevitably spill over into neighboring countries and create a domino effect throughout the Middle East and beyond,” he stated.
Russian S-300 air-defense system
Israel has issued a veiled threat to Russia over its plan to sell S-300 air-defense missiles to Syria, implying that it is ready to use force to prevent the delivery of the missiles.
On Tuesday, Russia said that it would go ahead with the delivery of S-300 missiles to Syria, noting that the deal would help deter foreign intervention in the country.
Later in the day, Israeli Minister for Military Affairs Moshe Ya'alon commented on the plan, saying, "Clearly this move is a threat to us."
"At this stage I can't say there is an escalation. The shipments have not been sent on their way yet. And I hope that they will not be sent," he said. But "if God forbid they do reach Syria, we will know what to do."
The S-300 anti-aircraft system is designed to defend large industrial and administrative centers, army bases, and similar facilities and is capable of destroying ballistic missiles. The most recent modifications of the system can shoot down hostile missiles or aircraft up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) away.
Israel has repeatedly asked Russia to scrap the contract to sell Syria the truck-mounted S-300 missile system.
However, Russia has insisted that it will deliver the S-300 missile system to Syria.
Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Russia to try to dissuade Moscow from delivering the S-300s to Syria.
In Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov insisted that Russia would not cancel the deal despite strong Western and Israeli opposition.
"We understand the concerns and signals sent to us from different capitals. We realize that many of our partners are concerned about the issue," Ryabkov said. "We have no reason to revise our stance."
"We believe that such steps to a large extent help restrain some hotheads considering a scenario to give an international dimension to this conflict," he added.
Israel has issued a veiled threat to Russia over its plan to sell S-300 air-defense missiles to Syria, implying that it is ready to use force to prevent the delivery of the missiles.
On Tuesday, Russia said that it would go ahead with the delivery of S-300 missiles to Syria, noting that the deal would help deter foreign intervention in the country.
Later in the day, Israeli Minister for Military Affairs Moshe Ya'alon commented on the plan, saying, "Clearly this move is a threat to us."
"At this stage I can't say there is an escalation. The shipments have not been sent on their way yet. And I hope that they will not be sent," he said. But "if God forbid they do reach Syria, we will know what to do."
The S-300 anti-aircraft system is designed to defend large industrial and administrative centers, army bases, and similar facilities and is capable of destroying ballistic missiles. The most recent modifications of the system can shoot down hostile missiles or aircraft up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) away.
Israel has repeatedly asked Russia to scrap the contract to sell Syria the truck-mounted S-300 missile system.
However, Russia has insisted that it will deliver the S-300 missile system to Syria.
Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Russia to try to dissuade Moscow from delivering the S-300s to Syria.
In Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov insisted that Russia would not cancel the deal despite strong Western and Israeli opposition.
"We understand the concerns and signals sent to us from different capitals. We realize that many of our partners are concerned about the issue," Ryabkov said. "We have no reason to revise our stance."
"We believe that such steps to a large extent help restrain some hotheads considering a scenario to give an international dimension to this conflict," he added.
25 may 2013
Deputy Secretary General of Hezbollah Sheikh Naim Qassem
The Deputy Secretary General of Hezbollah Sheikh Naim Qassem says that the Lebanese movement supports those in Syria backing resistance against Israel.
The Lebanese resistance official made the remarks during an interview with Beirut’s al-Mayadeen news channel.
Sheikh Naim Qassem reiterated that political dialogue is the only way to resolve the current crisis in the Arab nation.
He also said that Hezbollah was playing a supportive role in Syria.
The Hezbollah figure further warned that Western powers and some Arab states such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia are provoking a backlash in their own countries through their stance on Damascus.
Earlier in May, Sheikh Qassem said that Tel Aviv was aiming to boost the morale of foreign-backed militants fighting in Syria by its recent airstrikes against the country.
“An aggression by Israel against Syria has taken place which means that Syria represents an obstacle in the face of Israel. But Syria is unwavering in the face of [Israel],” he added.
Israel has carried out at least three airstrikes in Syria so far this year.
On May 22, Israeli Major General Amir Eshel said that Israel was prepared to attack Syria the moment the government of Bashar al-Assad collapses.
The unrest in Syria has dragged on for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
The Deputy Secretary General of Hezbollah Sheikh Naim Qassem says that the Lebanese movement supports those in Syria backing resistance against Israel.
The Lebanese resistance official made the remarks during an interview with Beirut’s al-Mayadeen news channel.
Sheikh Naim Qassem reiterated that political dialogue is the only way to resolve the current crisis in the Arab nation.
He also said that Hezbollah was playing a supportive role in Syria.
The Hezbollah figure further warned that Western powers and some Arab states such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia are provoking a backlash in their own countries through their stance on Damascus.
Earlier in May, Sheikh Qassem said that Tel Aviv was aiming to boost the morale of foreign-backed militants fighting in Syria by its recent airstrikes against the country.
“An aggression by Israel against Syria has taken place which means that Syria represents an obstacle in the face of Israel. But Syria is unwavering in the face of [Israel],” he added.
Israel has carried out at least three airstrikes in Syria so far this year.
On May 22, Israeli Major General Amir Eshel said that Israel was prepared to attack Syria the moment the government of Bashar al-Assad collapses.
The unrest in Syria has dragged on for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
A Palestine Liberation Organization delegation left the West Bank Saturday on its way to Syria to discuss the situation of the Palestinian refugees in that embattled country. Zakaria al-Agha, member of the PLO Executive Committee, said the delegation will meet with all concerned parties in Syria to find a quick solution for the tragic situation of the Palestinian refugee camps in Syria.
He said the camps and the refugees should be left out of the ongoing conflict and that they should be protected to allow the displaced refugees to return to their camps.
This is the second visit for the PLO delegation to Syria. The first was on February 10.
He said the camps and the refugees should be left out of the ongoing conflict and that they should be protected to allow the displaced refugees to return to their camps.
This is the second visit for the PLO delegation to Syria. The first was on February 10.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, filed a complaint to the Security Council against Syria after the Syrian Army opened fire, several days ago, at an Israeli military vehicle in the occupied Golan Heights.
Prosor said that targeting the Israeli military vehicle is a “direct violation to the 1974 agreement that ended armed confrontation between Syria and Israel."
In an interview with Syrian TV, a Syrian army commander stated that Syrian soldiers targeted an Israeli military vehicle after it crossed the border fence into Syrian territory.
The commander added that the Syrian army will not tolerate Israel’s ongoing violations, and will counter any Israeli military offensive against the country.
Furthermore, the Syrian TV said, “Israel must understand that the ongoing Israeli attacks against the country, and the fact that Israel is using the current situation, the fight against terror in Syria, will not stop Damascus from retaliating to the ongoing Israeli assaults and violations.”
It also stated that the Israeli assaults will not affect the arming of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, and that the Syrian retaliation is a message telling Israel that Syria will not stand idle while Tel Aviv continues its assaults, and added that Tel Aviv will not be able to stop the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah.
On his part, Hezbollah leader, Hasan Nasrallah, stated that “If Israel thinks Syria will stop arming the party, then its leaders must realize that Syria will grant Hezbollah advanced weapons that were never granted to the party before.”
The Israeli Air Force carried out numerous attacks against different targets in Syria, including aerial bombardment of a scientific research facility, Syrian army sites and other areas in the country; destruction and casualties have been reported.
Prosor said that targeting the Israeli military vehicle is a “direct violation to the 1974 agreement that ended armed confrontation between Syria and Israel."
In an interview with Syrian TV, a Syrian army commander stated that Syrian soldiers targeted an Israeli military vehicle after it crossed the border fence into Syrian territory.
The commander added that the Syrian army will not tolerate Israel’s ongoing violations, and will counter any Israeli military offensive against the country.
Furthermore, the Syrian TV said, “Israel must understand that the ongoing Israeli attacks against the country, and the fact that Israel is using the current situation, the fight against terror in Syria, will not stop Damascus from retaliating to the ongoing Israeli assaults and violations.”
It also stated that the Israeli assaults will not affect the arming of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, and that the Syrian retaliation is a message telling Israel that Syria will not stand idle while Tel Aviv continues its assaults, and added that Tel Aviv will not be able to stop the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah.
On his part, Hezbollah leader, Hasan Nasrallah, stated that “If Israel thinks Syria will stop arming the party, then its leaders must realize that Syria will grant Hezbollah advanced weapons that were never granted to the party before.”
The Israeli Air Force carried out numerous attacks against different targets in Syria, including aerial bombardment of a scientific research facility, Syrian army sites and other areas in the country; destruction and casualties have been reported.
24 may 2013
The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations has defended the country’s decision to target an Israeli military vehicle in the occupied Golan Heights earlier this week, saying it was a response to violations of Syria’s territorial integrity.
In a letter sent to the UN Security Council on Friday, Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said Syria exercised its right to self-defense and would respond immediately to any other violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In his letter, Ja'afari also said, “At 1:10 a.m. local time on May 21 (2210 GMT on May 20), an Israeli vehicle crossed the cease-fire line and proceeded towards the village of Bi'r Ajam, which is located in the liberated area of the Golan within the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.”
He added, "The presence of armed terrorist groups in that village led the Syrian armed forces to target the abovementioned Israeli vehicle."
According to the Syrian army, the Israeli military fired two rockets from the occupied site of Tal al-Faras into Syria in retaliation for the destruction of the vehicle.
On May 21, the Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli military, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, issued a stern warning to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying, “If he deteriorates (the situation on) the Golan Heights, he will have to bear the consequences.”
The Israeli regime recently increased its military activities in the Golan Heights, where clashes between the Syrian army and the militant groups continue.
The Syrian crisis has dragged on for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
On May 18, Assad said militants from 29 different countries are fighting against the government in different parts of the country.
In a letter sent to the UN Security Council on Friday, Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said Syria exercised its right to self-defense and would respond immediately to any other violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In his letter, Ja'afari also said, “At 1:10 a.m. local time on May 21 (2210 GMT on May 20), an Israeli vehicle crossed the cease-fire line and proceeded towards the village of Bi'r Ajam, which is located in the liberated area of the Golan within the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.”
He added, "The presence of armed terrorist groups in that village led the Syrian armed forces to target the abovementioned Israeli vehicle."
According to the Syrian army, the Israeli military fired two rockets from the occupied site of Tal al-Faras into Syria in retaliation for the destruction of the vehicle.
On May 21, the Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli military, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, issued a stern warning to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying, “If he deteriorates (the situation on) the Golan Heights, he will have to bear the consequences.”
The Israeli regime recently increased its military activities in the Golan Heights, where clashes between the Syrian army and the militant groups continue.
The Syrian crisis has dragged on for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
On May 18, Assad said militants from 29 different countries are fighting against the government in different parts of the country.
23 may 2013
Israeli military commander Major General Amir Eshel
An Israeli military commander says Tel Aviv is prepared to carry out an attack on Syria if the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad collapses.
On Wednesday, Israeli Major General Amir Eshel said the Tel Aviv regime might launch a sudden war on Syria should Damascus fall.
“We have to be ready for any scenario, at a few hours’ notice,” Eshel stated.
He also said that the Israeli regime would even prepare for a “protracted” war with a “post-Assad Syria.”
The recent Israeli threat is seen as part of the Western-backed efforts to set up the scene for a military intervention in Syria.
The Tel Aviv regime has already carried out three air strikes on Syria.
On May 5, Syria said the Israeli regime had carried out an airstrike targeting a research center in a suburb of Damascus, following heavy losses inflicted upon al-Qaeda-affiliated groups by the Syrian army. According to Syrian media reports, the strike hit the Jamraya Research Center. The Jamraya facility had been targeted in another Israeli airstrike in January.
The May 5 Israeli aggression was Tel Aviv’s second strike on Syria in three days.
Turmoil has gripped Syria for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
Western powers and their regional allies including the Israeli regime, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are partners in supporting the militant groups in Syria.
An Israeli military commander says Tel Aviv is prepared to carry out an attack on Syria if the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad collapses.
On Wednesday, Israeli Major General Amir Eshel said the Tel Aviv regime might launch a sudden war on Syria should Damascus fall.
“We have to be ready for any scenario, at a few hours’ notice,” Eshel stated.
He also said that the Israeli regime would even prepare for a “protracted” war with a “post-Assad Syria.”
The recent Israeli threat is seen as part of the Western-backed efforts to set up the scene for a military intervention in Syria.
The Tel Aviv regime has already carried out three air strikes on Syria.
On May 5, Syria said the Israeli regime had carried out an airstrike targeting a research center in a suburb of Damascus, following heavy losses inflicted upon al-Qaeda-affiliated groups by the Syrian army. According to Syrian media reports, the strike hit the Jamraya Research Center. The Jamraya facility had been targeted in another Israeli airstrike in January.
The May 5 Israeli aggression was Tel Aviv’s second strike on Syria in three days.
Turmoil has gripped Syria for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
Western powers and their regional allies including the Israeli regime, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are partners in supporting the militant groups in Syria.
22 may 2013
UN peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem
The Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Ministry has called on the UN Security Council to terminate the violations made by Israel, restating Syria’s right to respond to any breach of its sovereignty.
Referring to the identical letters sent to the Security Council and the UN Secretary General, the ministry said on Tuesday that Syria "expects the Security Council to put an end to the Israeli violations that breach the UN Charter and the Disengagement Agreement."
The mentioned letters were on the Israeli vehicle which crossed the cease-fire line and two rockets fired by the Israel from the occupied site of Tal al-Faras toward one of the Syrian sites in al-Zubaydiah village.
"While Syria places these facts before the Security Council, it once again reaffirms its right to immediately respond to any violation of its sovereignty and the sanctity of its land, and that lies within the framework of practicing its right to self-defense," the Ministry said.
The Israeli regime has recently boosted its military activities in the Golan Heights, where clashes between the Syrian army and the militant groups continue.
Syria has been gripped by unrest for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
The Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Ministry has called on the UN Security Council to terminate the violations made by Israel, restating Syria’s right to respond to any breach of its sovereignty.
Referring to the identical letters sent to the Security Council and the UN Secretary General, the ministry said on Tuesday that Syria "expects the Security Council to put an end to the Israeli violations that breach the UN Charter and the Disengagement Agreement."
The mentioned letters were on the Israeli vehicle which crossed the cease-fire line and two rockets fired by the Israel from the occupied site of Tal al-Faras toward one of the Syrian sites in al-Zubaydiah village.
"While Syria places these facts before the Security Council, it once again reaffirms its right to immediately respond to any violation of its sovereignty and the sanctity of its land, and that lies within the framework of practicing its right to self-defense," the Ministry said.
The Israeli regime has recently boosted its military activities in the Golan Heights, where clashes between the Syrian army and the militant groups continue.
Syria has been gripped by unrest for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
Israeli pilots at an Israeli Air Force Base
Middle East unrest increases the chance of a surprise attack on Israel, the head of its air force said on Wednesday, but added that he did not see an attack as imminent.
"When you look (around) today I think that a surprise war can be born in very many configurations," Major General Amir Eshel told a conference near Tel Aviv in remarks broadcast on local television and radio.
"I don't so much see a surprise war in the near term, but it can be born from isolated incidents which escalate very quickly and oblige us to act across the spectrum," he said, without elaborating.
He said that Syria's order from Russia of advanced S-300 air defense weapons was just the latest in a long line of missile purchases.
"From the small budget that Assad has, he has spent billions in the past few years to buy the best systems that the Russians can produce -- the SA 22, SA 17, SA 24, the S-300 which is on it's way," he said.
Earlier, a defense official sounded a more upbeat note, saying that Israel's ability to deter attack on its positions in the occupied Golan Heights remains undiminished despite an uptick in fire from the Syrian side of the ceasefire line.
"The good news is that the continued stability of the Golan Heights (and) the deterrent power of the Israeli army have not been weakened," senior defense adviser Amos Gilad told army radio.
"Daily life goes on as usual," he said, in what appeared to be an attempt to calm nerves after two days of fire and counter-fire on Israel's northeast flank.
Israeli chief of staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz issued a personal warning to President Bashar Assad on Tuesday after Syrian troops fired across the armistice line on the Golan, hitting an Israeli military vehicle.
The strategic plateau has been tense since the beginning of the conflict in Syria more than two years ago.
Israel, which is technically at war with Syria, seized 1,200 square kilometers of the Golan from its Arab neighbor in the 1967 Six-Day War.
It annexed the territory in 1981 in a move never recognized by the international community.
Middle East unrest increases the chance of a surprise attack on Israel, the head of its air force said on Wednesday, but added that he did not see an attack as imminent.
"When you look (around) today I think that a surprise war can be born in very many configurations," Major General Amir Eshel told a conference near Tel Aviv in remarks broadcast on local television and radio.
"I don't so much see a surprise war in the near term, but it can be born from isolated incidents which escalate very quickly and oblige us to act across the spectrum," he said, without elaborating.
He said that Syria's order from Russia of advanced S-300 air defense weapons was just the latest in a long line of missile purchases.
"From the small budget that Assad has, he has spent billions in the past few years to buy the best systems that the Russians can produce -- the SA 22, SA 17, SA 24, the S-300 which is on it's way," he said.
Earlier, a defense official sounded a more upbeat note, saying that Israel's ability to deter attack on its positions in the occupied Golan Heights remains undiminished despite an uptick in fire from the Syrian side of the ceasefire line.
"The good news is that the continued stability of the Golan Heights (and) the deterrent power of the Israeli army have not been weakened," senior defense adviser Amos Gilad told army radio.
"Daily life goes on as usual," he said, in what appeared to be an attempt to calm nerves after two days of fire and counter-fire on Israel's northeast flank.
Israeli chief of staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz issued a personal warning to President Bashar Assad on Tuesday after Syrian troops fired across the armistice line on the Golan, hitting an Israeli military vehicle.
The strategic plateau has been tense since the beginning of the conflict in Syria more than two years ago.
Israel, which is technically at war with Syria, seized 1,200 square kilometers of the Golan from its Arab neighbor in the 1967 Six-Day War.
It annexed the territory in 1981 in a move never recognized by the international community.
Palestinians fleeing from the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus are seen at a Lebanese border crossing with Syria on December 19, 2012
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) says violence in Syria has displaced over two-thirds of Palestinian refugees living in the Arab country.
“We have registered approximately 530,000 Palestinian refugees. We believe that almost all of them, certainly maybe 70-80 percent, are displaced from their normal homes,” UNRWA Commissioner General Filippo Grandi said in a statement on Wednesday.
The crisis in Syria began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Grandi's statement said that 12-15 percent of Palestinian refugees in Syria escaped their camps and went to another country.
“You can say that 12-15 percent of the refugee population in Syria is now (made) refugee again in another country,” the statement said.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) says violence in Syria has displaced over two-thirds of Palestinian refugees living in the Arab country.
“We have registered approximately 530,000 Palestinian refugees. We believe that almost all of them, certainly maybe 70-80 percent, are displaced from their normal homes,” UNRWA Commissioner General Filippo Grandi said in a statement on Wednesday.
The crisis in Syria began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Grandi's statement said that 12-15 percent of Palestinian refugees in Syria escaped their camps and went to another country.
“You can say that 12-15 percent of the refugee population in Syria is now (made) refugee again in another country,” the statement said.
21 may 2013
Israeli soldiers patrolling the disputed Golan Heights along the border with Syria fired back after coming under fire overnight, an Israeli Defense Forces statement said Tuesday.
"Overnight, shots were fired at an IDF patrol on the border in the central Golan Heights, damaging a military vehicle," said a statement on the army's website. No one had been wounded, it added.
"In response, IDF forces returned precise fire at the source of the gunfire. They reported a direct hit," the statement added.
"The IDF views the recent incidents in the north with concern and has lodged a complaint with UNDOF," the UN Disengagement Force responsible for patrolling that area.
Early on Monday, the army reported that small-arms fire from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights overnight, causing no harm or damage. The army also filed a complaint with the UN force on that occasion.
The Golan Heights have been tense since the beginning of the conflict in Syria more than two years ago.
However, there have been only minor flare-ups in the region to date, with Syrian shells crashing in the occupied Golan and Israel firing in retaliation.
In recent weeks there were four incidents of fire coming from Syria and straying across the ceasefire line.
Last week projectiles from Syria hit Mount Hermon, causing the popular site on the Israeli-occupied Golan to close down to visitors.
Israel, which is technically at war with Syria, seized 1,200 square kilometers of the strategic Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War, which it later annexed, a move never recognised by the international community.
"Overnight, shots were fired at an IDF patrol on the border in the central Golan Heights, damaging a military vehicle," said a statement on the army's website. No one had been wounded, it added.
"In response, IDF forces returned precise fire at the source of the gunfire. They reported a direct hit," the statement added.
"The IDF views the recent incidents in the north with concern and has lodged a complaint with UNDOF," the UN Disengagement Force responsible for patrolling that area.
Early on Monday, the army reported that small-arms fire from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights overnight, causing no harm or damage. The army also filed a complaint with the UN force on that occasion.
The Golan Heights have been tense since the beginning of the conflict in Syria more than two years ago.
However, there have been only minor flare-ups in the region to date, with Syrian shells crashing in the occupied Golan and Israel firing in retaliation.
In recent weeks there were four incidents of fire coming from Syria and straying across the ceasefire line.
Last week projectiles from Syria hit Mount Hermon, causing the popular site on the Israeli-occupied Golan to close down to visitors.
Israel, which is technically at war with Syria, seized 1,200 square kilometers of the strategic Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War, which it later annexed, a move never recognised by the international community.
Israel’s military chief has severely warned Syria against more attacks hours after Syrian troops targeted an Israeli military vehicle in the occupied Golan Heights.
On Tuesday, Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz issued a stern warning to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying that “If he deteriorates (the situation on) the Golan Heights, he will have to bear the consequences.”
Earlier in the day, the Syrian army said in a statement that it had destroyed an Israeli military vehicle which had crossed the ceasefire line in the occupied Golan Heights.
The vehicle drove toward the village of Bir Ajam, located in the “liberated area of Syrian territories where there are armed terrorist groups,” the army added.
According to the Syrian army, the Israeli military fired two rockets from the occupied site of Tal al-Faras into Syria overnight in retaliation.
Also on Tuesday, the Israeli military said its troops had shot at a target inside Syria, following an incident where gunfire from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The Israeli regime has recently boosted its military activities in the Golan Heights, where clashes between the Syrian army and the militant groups continue.
Syria has been gripped by unrest for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
On Tuesday, Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz issued a stern warning to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying that “If he deteriorates (the situation on) the Golan Heights, he will have to bear the consequences.”
Earlier in the day, the Syrian army said in a statement that it had destroyed an Israeli military vehicle which had crossed the ceasefire line in the occupied Golan Heights.
The vehicle drove toward the village of Bir Ajam, located in the “liberated area of Syrian territories where there are armed terrorist groups,” the army added.
According to the Syrian army, the Israeli military fired two rockets from the occupied site of Tal al-Faras into Syria overnight in retaliation.
Also on Tuesday, the Israeli military said its troops had shot at a target inside Syria, following an incident where gunfire from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The Israeli regime has recently boosted its military activities in the Golan Heights, where clashes between the Syrian army and the militant groups continue.
Syria has been gripped by unrest for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
Syria says its army has destroyed an Israeli military vehicle that had crossed the ceasefire line in the occupied Golan Heights.
The Syrian army said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the vehicle drove toward the village of Bir Ajam, located in the “liberated area of Syrian territories where there are armed terrorist groups.”
“Following that, the Israeli enemy fired two rockets from the occupied site of Tal al-Faras toward one of our sites in al-Zubaydiah site; no casualties reported,” the statement added.
Also on Tuesday, the Israeli military said its troops had shot at a target inside Syria, following an incident where gunfire from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The Israeli regime has recently boosted its military activities in the Golan Heights, where clashes between the Syrian army and the militant groups continue.
Syria has been gripped by unrest for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad said on May 18 that militants from 29 different countries were fighting against the government in different parts of the country.
The Syrian army said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the vehicle drove toward the village of Bir Ajam, located in the “liberated area of Syrian territories where there are armed terrorist groups.”
“Following that, the Israeli enemy fired two rockets from the occupied site of Tal al-Faras toward one of our sites in al-Zubaydiah site; no casualties reported,” the statement added.
Also on Tuesday, the Israeli military said its troops had shot at a target inside Syria, following an incident where gunfire from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The Israeli regime has recently boosted its military activities in the Golan Heights, where clashes between the Syrian army and the militant groups continue.
Syria has been gripped by unrest for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad said on May 18 that militants from 29 different countries were fighting against the government in different parts of the country.
Four Palestinian refugees were killed in Syria on Monday, the Damascus-based task-force for Palestinians in Syria said.
Farid Qasim was "executed" by gunmen affiliated with rebels from the Free Syrian Army in the Sheikh Anbar neighborhood, a statement said, allegedly because he was connected to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, a pro-Assad faction.
Zuheir Talib Mousa, an officer in the PLO's Liberation Army, was killed after being caught in the crossfire during fighting, and Muhammad Atwah died after being tortured by the Syrian regime in jail.
He was detained six months ago and his dead body was returned to his family on Monday.
Muhammad Khair al-Razzaz from Yarmouk refugee camp, also known as Abu Sakhr, was shot dead in clashes on the outskirts of Damascus, the task-force said.
Several people were injured on Monday as Syrian regime forces shelled an area of Yarmouk refugee camp, the working group for Palestine said.
The al-Husayniyah camp on the outskirts of Damascus was also shelled, and Sbeinah refugee camp near Damascus is reportedly being blockaded by Syrian troops.
Despite repeated statements from Palestinian officials that Syria camps are neutral in the internal conflict, Palestinians have been adversely affected by fighting in the two year conflict.
In March, the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria said that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Syria conflict, with that number thought to have increased significantly since then.
Syria hosts half a million Palestinian refugees, descendants of those admitted after the creation of Israel in 1948, and has always cast itself as a champion of the Palestinian struggle, sponsoring several guerrilla factions.
Farid Qasim was "executed" by gunmen affiliated with rebels from the Free Syrian Army in the Sheikh Anbar neighborhood, a statement said, allegedly because he was connected to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, a pro-Assad faction.
Zuheir Talib Mousa, an officer in the PLO's Liberation Army, was killed after being caught in the crossfire during fighting, and Muhammad Atwah died after being tortured by the Syrian regime in jail.
He was detained six months ago and his dead body was returned to his family on Monday.
Muhammad Khair al-Razzaz from Yarmouk refugee camp, also known as Abu Sakhr, was shot dead in clashes on the outskirts of Damascus, the task-force said.
Several people were injured on Monday as Syrian regime forces shelled an area of Yarmouk refugee camp, the working group for Palestine said.
The al-Husayniyah camp on the outskirts of Damascus was also shelled, and Sbeinah refugee camp near Damascus is reportedly being blockaded by Syrian troops.
Despite repeated statements from Palestinian officials that Syria camps are neutral in the internal conflict, Palestinians have been adversely affected by fighting in the two year conflict.
In March, the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria said that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Syria conflict, with that number thought to have increased significantly since then.
Syria hosts half a million Palestinian refugees, descendants of those admitted after the creation of Israel in 1948, and has always cast itself as a champion of the Palestinian struggle, sponsoring several guerrilla factions.
