Netanyahu confirms Israeli airstrikes in Syria Friday; Strikes targeted Iranian arms depots and warehouses; Eisenkot to NYTimes: We struck thousands of targets without claiming responsibility or asking for credit.

 

Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed IDF strikes on Iranian targets in Syria overnight Friday.

Addressing his weekly cabinet in Jerusalem Sunday, Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed Israeli airstrikes over the past 36 hours targeting Iranian and Hezbollah weapons depots and warehouses. Airstrikes were reported by Syrian media on Friday night claiming the strikes targeted a supposed “Syrian Ministry Transport” near the Damascus International Airport.

SANA media reported the Syrian army’s claims that the attacks Friday were Israeli warplanes “coming from Al-Jalil area launched many missiles towards Damascus area and our air defenses intercepted them and downed most of them.” Syria on Saturday filed an official complaint against Israel to the UN Security Council and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Majority of Israeli covert operations in Syria and Lebanon are not confirmed by Israeli officials or the IDF. Netanyahu, however, confirmed the strikes, along with others in the past, stating on Sunday morning, “The Israel Defense Forces has attacked hundreds of Iranian and Hezbollah targets. Just in the past 36 hours, the air force attacked Iranian depots full of Iranian weapons in the Damascus International Airport. Just in the last 36 hours, the Israel Air Force attacked Iranian warehouses with Iranian weapons at the international airport in Damascus.”

He added, “The accumulated number of recent attacks proves that we are determined more than ever to act against Iran in Syria.”

The prime minister took the time to thank outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot for his service to the IDF and State of Israel. Eisenkot recently confirmed thousands of IDF strikes on Iranian targets over the past year in an interview with the New York Times. He was quoted stating “We struck thousands of targets without claiming responsibility or asking for credit.” He referred to Iran’s error in choosing Syria, a region the IDF has “complete intelligence superiority in this area.” Eisenkot stated, “We enjoy complete aerial superiority. We have strong deterrence and we have the justification to act.”

 

 

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