JERUSALEM (AFP) – The Israeli army said that it had again struck two military bases in central Syria, a day after the European Union’s (EU) Foreign Policy Chief warned strikes there and in Lebanon risked escalation.
“A short while ago, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck military capabilities that remained at the Syrian military bases of Tadmur and T4,” the Israeli military said, referring to bases in Palmyra and another 50 kilometres west of the city.
“The IDF will continue to act in order to remove any threat posed to the citizens of the State of Israel,” it added. Israel said it struck the same bases after a war monitor first reported the raids. On Monday during a visit to Jerusalem, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas warned that Israeli strikes on Syria and Lebanon were threatening to worsen the situation.
“Military actions must be proportionate, and Israeli strikes into Syria and Lebanon risk further escalation,” Kallas said at a joint news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
“We feel that these things are unnecessary because Syria is right now not attacking Israel and that feeds more radicalisation that is also against Israel,” Kallas told journalists. In Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on military sites since rebels overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December.
Israel said it wants to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of new authorities it considers terrorists.
And despite a ceasefire, Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Lebanon – with both sides repeatedly accusing the other of violating the truce.
Israel launched air strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing eight people, in response to rocket fire that hit its territory for the first time since a ceasefire took effect on November 27.
No party has claimed responsibility for the rocket fire.
