At least four airstrikes rocked the Syrian capital of Damascus and its surrounding environs early Thursday morning. Several amateur videos posted online showed incoming missile fire over Damascus and outgoing surface-to-air retaliatory fire as Syrian state media reported it was engaging “enemy targets” in its airspace. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the strikes, although Israel has admitted to conducting hundreds of strikes in Syria and Iraq over the past six years, mostly targeting weapons pipelines of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Lebanese Hezbollah and high-ranking members of Palestinian terrorist groups.
News of the airstrikes in Syria broke immediately following confirmation by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) that Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza strikes came after another day of explosive balloons and mortar attacks terrorized Israeli citizens in the so-called “Gaza Envelope”. The Israeli Army confirmed airstrikes on several positions belonging to Hamas, the terrorist group that rules the sequestered strip.
Hamas called for “escalating confrontations with the occupation and its settlers” today after three incidents involving Molotov Cocktails in the West Bank city of Hebron. Often a flash point of tension, Hebron has been seething since US President Trump’s joint news conference with Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu last week, in which he announced his “Deal of the Century” Israeli-Palestinian peace accord – a plan which was roundly rejected across the board by Palestinian leadership. On Sunday, an IDF soldier was struck by a Molotov Cocktail while patrolling in Hebron, followed by a Border Patrol officer in the same city the next day. Monday’s attack resulted in light injuries to the officer, whose clothing was briefly ignited by the projectile. Then on Tuesday, Israeli security forces shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian in the act of lobbing yet another Molotov Cocktail in their direction. The death of Palestinian youth engaged in “resistance” against Israel is often a lightning rod for Palestinian factions who propagandize the death of children as a pretext for bellicose rhetoric and increased violence.
The targeted facilities in Damascus reportedly include a military airport, a research facility and a base that houses Syria’s 75th Brigade. There is no confirmation of damage or casualties at this time, nor has an objective been determined, although Syrian intelligence analysts generally agree that the IRGC and Lebanese Hezbollah are active in and around Damascus.
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