OF THE
TIMES
The spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, said Israel had responded to the attack but did not provide details. If confirmed, this would be the first rocket attack carried out directly by Iran, rather than by one of its proxies, against Israel.From USA Today:
The Israeli military said in a statement that it "views this event with great severity and remains prepared for a wide variety of scenarios." The Syrian state news agency reported that the country's air defenses responded to at least two waves of Israeli missile attacks after the strike against the Israeli positions.
Israel and Iran have been conducting a shadow war in Syria under the cover of that country's civil war. As Iran has tried to build up its military capabilities inside Syria, Israel has carried out scores of strikes against what it says are advanced weapons and convoys destined for its enemies in the region.
The rocket attack early Thursday appeared to come in response to Israeli strikes on positions in southern Syria on Wednesday.
Syria's state news agency said early Thursday that Syrian air defenses had intercepted "hostile Israeli missiles," and Syrian media later said the missiles were fired over southwestern Damascus.Additional from Haaretz:
The pro-Syrian government Al-Mayadeen TV said more than 50 missiles had been fired from Syria toward Israeli forces in the Golan Heights.
Earlier, Syria's state news agency said rockets suspected to have been fired from Israel had hit southern Syria's Quneitra province late Wednesday. Activists said it was artillery fire from Israeli positions in the Golan Heights. There were no reports of casualties.
Israel has been on heightened alert in recent days, anticipating an Iranian attack following Iranian vows to retaliate to what it says are recent Israeli strikes in Syria targeting Iranian outposts.
The military said intelligence assessments earlier in the week anticipated that after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he was withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear accord, Israel was likely to be targeted by rocket fire and Iran would try to retaliate.The Israeli bombardment has lasted hours, starting at 1:30 am. The Israelis claim to be targeting "Iranian targets". Explosions were heard in Damascus.
However, the army has predicted that such an attack would not lead to a full-fledged war. Tehran has issued several threats over the past month, saying that it would hurt Israel in response to a slew of attacks that were ascribed to the Israeli air force. The latest attack, carried out on May 9, claimed the lives of seven Iranians in the Syrian air force base T4.
Israel then conducted preemptive missile strikes near Damascus at what they called Iranian forces in order to head off an Iranian attack at Israeli forces in the Heights.
Israeli Defense Forces then report that they have intercepted twenty projectiles incoming near the Golan Heights, which they say was launched by the Iranians, but which the Syrians are saying is their own forces responding to Israel's aggression, which was largely intercepted by the Syrian Air Defense.
Israel apparently knew that Trump was ending the nuclear deal, and thus anticipated that this would prompt Iranian forces to organize an assault against IDF forces, hence Israel established an alert, picked out some targets to paint as something to 'retaliate' against, took aim, and then fired, killing 15, including 8 Iranians, according to the Jerusalem Post, which was largely intercepted, but striking a radar site.
Not only did Israel know that Trump was about 'provoke' Tehran, they also knew that Iranian forces in Syria were coming for them, and that's why Israel's preemptive strikes were 'retaliations' against an Iranian offensive that hadn't happened. Who wouldn't want a crystal ball like the one that Netanyahu has?
One of theories I saw there was that Israel wants to return Golan Heights to Syria in some kind of Putin mediated deal, but has to do it while saving face. Naive, but... who knows nowadays.Israel wants to return Golan Heights to Syria?!? With Rothschild, et al (the usual suspects), getting ready to drill the billion barrel oil field there? I don't think so.
May 8th
Israeli warplanes fly over the Golan Heights, Quneitra and Daraa skies in south-western Syria.
21.45 Israeli Army (IDF) fired at least 3 missiles into Syria, hitting Al-Kissweh south of Damsacus, which hosts an Iranian command post, hitting an Iranian-affiliated weapons convoy. Syrian state TV reports 2 civilian casualties. SOHR reports 15 casualties, 8 of which Iranian.
Israel drafts reserve soldiers in expectation of a Syrian retaliation.
May 9th
Large amounts of Israeli equipment pour into the Golan Heights.
Syrian Army (SAA) stations mobile surface-to-air missile system in Al-Kissweh following the IDF strike on May 8th
11.00 AM Syrian air defense fire at Israeli missiles in the sky over Damascus. One missile shot down over Dasmacus international airport.
13.45 IDF tanks/artillery hit SAA positions in area of Baath City in Quneitra province, near the border of the Golan Heights
14:20 SAA retaliates against IDF, targets positions in the Golan Heights
IDF bombs SAA and Hezbollah in Hader village and Khan Arnabah, Quneitra province.
15.00 IDF says Iranian Quds forces fired 20 missiles at IDF positions in the Golan Heights
Heavy IDF shelling on SAA positions in Baath city, Tel Ahmar and Amal Farms in Quneitra province.
Syrian air defence responds to IDF attack on military site in Qatana, south of Damascus.
17.00 Syrian air defence cope with multiple vectors (swarm attack) by IDF on the southern outskirts of Damascus.
Syrian air defense shot down 4 IDF missiles over western Qalamoun region in northern Damascus.
Several military bases in Damascus hit by Israeli rockets.
18.00 New round of Syrian missiles target IDF positions in the Golan Heights.