Israeli troopers participate in a navy train close to Moshav Kidmat Tsvi within the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on April 3, 2023.
Jalaa Marey | AFP | Getty Photos
Israeli jets hit Syrian navy targets on Sunday in response to rockets launched in direction of Israeli managed territory in a single day, Israel’s navy mentioned, as violence flared once more following cross-border exchanges of fireside throughout the week.
State media in Syria reported explosions within the neighborhood of the capital Damascus as Israel mentioned its forces continued to hit Syrian territory after six rockets had been fired in a single day in direction of the Golan Heights.
Israel mentioned artillery and drone strikes hit the rocket launchers and had been adopted by airstrikes towards a Syrian military compound, navy radar programs and artillery posts.
The Israeli navy « sees the State of Syria accountable for all actions occurring inside its territory and won’t permit any makes an attempt to violate Israeli sovereignty, » the Israeli Protection Forces mentioned in a press release.
The Syrian protection ministry mentioned its air defenses had responded to the Israeli assaults and intercepted some Israeli missiles. It mentioned no casualties had been reported with solely materials harm attributable to the strikes.
Sirens had sounded earlier close to cities within the Golan Heights as rockets had been launched from Syrian territory, however no harm or casualties had been reported. Israel seized the Golan Heights within the 1967 Center East warfare and annexed the 1,200-square-km (460-square-mile) territory in 1981, a transfer not recognised by many of the worldwide group.
Solely three of the rockets crossed into Israeli-controlled territory, with two falling on open floor and a 3rd intercepted by air protection programs, the navy mentioned.
Lebanon-Primarily based Al Mayadeen TV mentioned the rocket salvoes had been claimed by Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad motion.
On Thursday, greater than 30 rockets had been fired in direction of Israel from southern Lebanon, drawing cross-border counterstrikes from Israel on websites linked to the Islamist motion Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza.
The cross-border exchanges got here amid sharply elevated tensions between Israel and Palestinian teams following Israeli police raids in current days on Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, which brought about outrage throughout the Arab world.
Palestinians stage a protest towards Israeli raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque after performing the third Friday prayer of holy Islamic fasting month of Ramadan on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in Jerusalem on April 7, 2023.
Anadolu Company | Getty Photos
Israel mentioned the operations had been meant to dislodge teams of what police known as extremists that had barricaded themselves into the mosque armed with firecrackers and stones.
However the raids, throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, drew a livid response and concern even amongst Israel’s U.S. allies, with cell phone footage from contained in the mosque exhibiting police beating worshippers.
The location in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis, holy to each Muslims and Jews, who realize it as Temple Mount, has been a longstanding flashpoint, notably over the problem of Jewish guests defying a ban on non-Muslim prayer within the mosque compound.
Clashes there in 2021 helped set off a 10-day warfare between Israel and Hamas. The current exchanges of cross-border hearth have woke up reminiscences of that battle.
Regardless of fears of additional violence across the mosque on Saturday, there have been no studies of great disturbances in a single day.
In a separate incident, a Palestinian man was shot useless by Israeli forces throughout a confrontation within the occupied West Financial institution, Israel’s navy and the Palestinian well being ministry mentioned.
