PM addresses Israel’s recent strikes in Syria during ceremony commemorating Israel’s fallen; Netanyahu: Only if we stand as a fortified wall against those who seek our ill and are willing to act at personal risk in time of need, can we with God’s help, ensure the eternity of Israel.
Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed Israel’s recent strikes in Syria, reiterating that the State of Israel will “act on all fronts, including in the north” against Iran and its entrenchment in Syria. Giving a speech at an event in Jerusalem remembering Israel’s fallen, the prime minister spoke of Israel’s defense, strength and the sacrifice of its soldiers in battle to protect the Jewish state. He stated, “Only if we stand as a fortified wall against those who seek our ill and are willing to act at personal risk in time of need can we, with God’s help, ensure the eternity of Israel. We are determined to defend our land, even in the face of our greatest and bitterest of foes, who inscribe our destruction on their banners. We are not deterred by struggle, knowing that we fight against those who seek our lives. Our spirit is strong, our strength is steadfast.”
Touching on the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) strikes on an Iranian surface-to-surface missile (SSM) factory in Syria on Saturday night, he stated, “We do not rush to battle. Who other than us know that the cost of war is terrible? But let no one misunderstand us: when the security of Israel is at stake, we act with all our strength. Whoever puts us in danger puts himself in far greater danger. We will continue to act on all fronts, including in the north, because we are not prepared to allow anybody to entrench in strength and endanger the State of Israel. Strength is the guarantee of our existence, and it is the essential and fundamental condition in achieving peace with our neighbors.”
On Saturday, the Syrian army reported strikes outside of Masyaf, Syria, ImageSat International releasing satellite images of the damages caused by the Israeli strikes. The organization confirmed that if the site was a missile factory, “it could allow production and assembly of different SSM elements for improving the accuracy of missiles.”
The IDF and Israeli government rarely confirm or address its covert operations in Syria and Lebanon. The IDF did, however, confirm late last year that it carried out hundreds of strikes on Iranian targets in the region, mainly in Syria. Strikes have targeted weapon shipments to Hezbollah, Iranian missile and drone factories, terror sites, launch sites and much more.
Earlier this month, reports of a new, secret Iranian precision missile factory in Lebanon were released. The United States sent an official warning to Lebanon and Hezbollah, as well as Iran, against further aggression and threats to Israel’s security through US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who was on a Middle East tour at the time. Netanyahu reportedly shared intelligence on the missile factory with Pompeo during his visit to Jerusalem. Prior to this, Israel announced it had found a new Iranian precision-missile factory in Safita, Syria in March.
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