Israel pays close attention to Syrian conflict

As the civil conflict continues in Syria, nearby Israel is keeping a close eye on the fighting, especially from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Although the Islamic State (IS) militants located in Yarmouk Valley operate on Israel’s “border” with Syria, they are not the Israeli government’s primary concern.

However, it is setting its sights on rebels fighting against the Syrian army, errant mortar and tank fire landing in Israel, and Hezbollah heavy weapons convoys moving from Syria to Lebanon.

In anticipation of these threats, soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have positioned themselves near the “border” that separates Syria from Israel.

“At the moment, the Israeli army is not a priority for them so we don’t anticipate an attack against us right now,” said Guy Dayan, the commander of IDF Herev battalion.

Although the IDF hasn’t predicted an imminent attack, it has fleets of tanks on standby, soldiers underground monitoring movement inside Syria, and patrols routinely making rounds along the “border”.

“The red line for us, without question, would be a hit on our forces or a hit on Israeli civilians. That is currently our red line,” said Dayan.

Since the Syrian war erupted in 2011, dozens of errant mortar shells have landed inside Israel, which has responded with targeted counter-strikes.

Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War, and annexed it in 1981, a move not recognized internationally.