Israel Determined to Strike Iranian Weapons in Syria

Israeli soldiers participate in military exercises in the Golan. (AFP)
Israeli soldiers participate in military exercises in the Golan. (AFP)
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Israel Determined to Strike Iranian Weapons in Syria

Israeli soldiers participate in military exercises in the Golan. (AFP)
Israeli soldiers participate in military exercises in the Golan. (AFP)

Although the Israeli authorities have neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the bombing in Syria, military sources in Tel Aviv said that the Iranian convoy that was bombed two days ago near the Iraqi-Syrian border “was carrying weapons and ammunition, not just oil, as Tehran claims.”

The sources said that Tehran, “which received severe blows in the destruction of arms convoys in several Syrian airports, especially Damascus International Airport, has returned to transport [weapons] by land.”

They added that the Iranians “tried to hide these weapons through a civilian convoy, in the hope that Israeli intelligence would not discover them.”

According to the sources, the regime of Bashar al-Assad has probably “asked Tehran to stop the transfer of weapons, because the Israeli strikes destroyed most of the Syrian military industries.”

But Iran “insists on sending missile warheads to its factories in Syria and Lebanon, in order to ensure the continuation of the missile industry and improve its accuracy,” they remarked.

“Tel Aviv insists on sending clear messages to all players on Syrian soil that it will not allow the transfer of weapons in any form. It is trying to carry out its raids in the eastern regions of Syria, before reaching the west, where the Russian army is located. It takes into account that Moscow is angry with Tel Aviv for its stance on the war in Ukraine,” the sources noted.

According to the Israel Hayom newspaper, the Israeli military leaders are conducting in-depth deliberations on the possible reaction from Russia, which has so far been silent or just issued political criticism in one out of three or four raids.

These leaders have asked the Israeli ministry of Foreign Affairs to assess the Russian position through diplomatic channels, the sources said.



Almost Half of Attacks on Heath Care in Lebanon Have Been Deadly, WHO Says

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
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Almost Half of Attacks on Heath Care in Lebanon Have Been Deadly, WHO Says

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)

The World Health Organization says nearly half of the attacks on health care in Lebanon have been deadly since the Middle East conflict erupted in October last year, the highest such rate anywhere in the world.

The UN health agency says 65 out of 137, or 47%, of recorded “attacks on health care” in Lebanon over that time period have proven fatal to at least one person, and often many more.

WHO’s running global tally counts attacks, whether deliberate or not, that affect places like hospitals, clinics, medical transport, and warehouses for medical supplies, as well as medics, doctors, nurses and the patients they treat.

Nearly half of attacks on health care in Lebanon since last October and the majority of deaths occurred since an intensified Israeli military campaign began against Hezbollah in the country two months ago.

The health agency said 226 health workers and patients have been killed and 199 injured in Lebanon between Oct. 7, 2023 and this Monday.