ISRAEL HITS SYRIA AND CRACKS DOWN ON PALESTINIANS

Israel continues to attack Syria despite rising tensions with Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

On April 14, an Israeli attack targeted the western countryside of Syria’s Damascus. The attack was carried out by two F-16 fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force from the airspace of the occupied Golan Heights.

The Israeli fighter jets launched two missiles at a position of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) near the town of Kafr Qouq to the north of the district of Qatana. According to the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria, one of the missiles was intercepted by a Russian-made Buk-M2E medium-range air-defense system belonging to the SAA. However, the other missile struck a warehouse at the army position, inflicting material losses only.

The UAE-based al-Arabiya TV reported that the target of the Israeli attack was a large shipment of Iranian air-defense systems, radar stations and drones. However, these claims are yet to be verified.

The attack was likely a part of Israel’s “War-Between-Wars” military campaign, which is meant to hinder Iranian entrenchment in Syria. So far, the campaign has been a failure. Damascus’ relations with Tehran are only getting stronger.

Meanwhile, tensions between the Israeli authorities and Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank continue to grow.

On April 15, at least 152 Palestinians were wounded when Israeli security forces stormed the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, most of the Palestinian injuries were incurred from rubber bullets, stun grenades and beatings with police batons.

In a statement, Israeli police claimed it stormed the holy Islamic site because hundreds of Palestinians hurled firecrackers and stones at their forces and toward the nearby Jewish prayer area of the Western Wall in the Old City after the Ramadan morning prayers.

A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett bragged that hundreds of Palestinians were arrested at al-Aqsa mosque.

Clashes in Jerusalem renewed on April 17, when Israeli security forces stormed the al-Aqsa mosque once again, provoking Palestinians who were praying there. At least 19 Palestinians were wounded after being assaulted by Israeli policemen.

Israeli police accused Palestinians of “defiling and desecrating” a holy site, while Palestinian officials accused Israel of trying to divide the sensitive holy site.

Israel stepped up its security measures in Jerusalem and the West Bank following a series of deadly shooting and stabbing attacks by Palestinians.

On March 22, four Israelis were killed in a stabbing attack in Be’er Sheva.

On March 27, two border police officers were killed in a shooting attack in Hadera.

On March 30, two Israelis, two Ukrainian nationals, and a police officer were killed in a shooting attack in Bnei Brak.

On April 7, two Israelis were killed in a shooting attack in Tel Aviv. A third Israeli who was fatally wounded in the attack was pronounced dead a day later.

In response, Israeli security forces killed 18 Palestinians in the first half of April, most of whom were killed following statements by PM Bennett on the 8th of April, granting a mandate to the Israeli army to wage an unrelenting war on what he described as terrorism.

Tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank could spill over to the Gaza Strip very soon. Palestinian armed factions in the pocket, namely the Hamas Movement and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, have already warned Israel that they will not sit idly by as it continues to oppress Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank.