The Russian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Israeli air strike on Damascus and its environs, saying it was a "flagrant violation" of international law.
Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia "urges Israel to stop armed provocations against the Syrian Arab Republic and refrain from steps fraught with dangerous consequences for the entire region."
According to Russian news agency Sputnik, Zakharova asserted that such vicious practices were completely unacceptable when Russia and other countries sent rescuers, health workers, and humanitarian assistance to Syria in the wake of devastating earthquakes that rocked the Arab country early last week.
Tel Aviv did not issue an official response. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted that the raid was a response to the Iranian drone attack on an oil tanker owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer in the Gulf waters a week ago.
"We will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons, and we will not allow it to entrench on our northern border," Netanyahu told Sunday's cabinet meeting.
Political sources in Tel Aviv claimed that the Syrian anti-aircraft system launched the missiles at the Israeli rockets to destroy them, which killed several citizens.
The military expert at the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Ron Ben-Yishai, said that the Israeli raid was in response to Iran's bombing of the ship.
He explained that it comes within the new policy established by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Mossad chief David Barnea, and National Security Council chief Eyal Hulata, which stipulated a war with Iran in all arenas, targeting its weak points.
