Israel’s strike in Syria ‘provocative and dangerous,’ deepening rift with US: opposition leader

Israeli opposition leader Yair Golan on Wednesday called Israel’s latest strike in Syria a “provocative and dangerous” move, saying it was deepening a rift with the country’s allies, particularly the US.

Golan, the leader of Israel’s Democrats party, said the attack was bringing Israel closer to a confrontation with Türkiye.

“Military force is once again being used for political considerations, and once again Israel is paying the price in terms of its security,” he said in a post on the US social media platform X.

Golan accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being an “extremist and unreliable” actor who could not be trusted to build a stable regional framework.

He said Netanyahu was eroding trust in Israel and driving away partners and allies. “Israel needs leadership that knows how to use force to achieve security, not to create another war for political survival,” Golan said.

His remarks came after Israeli warplanes carried out eight airstrikes early on Tuesday targeting the runway of Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, damaging its infrastructure.

Syria protested the attacks in letters to the UN and Security Council, saying continued Israeli strikes, incursions and abductions were obstructing stabilisation efforts and threatening further regional tensions.

Israeli warplanes launch overnight strikes on southern Lebanon

Israeli warplanes carried out a series of overnight airstrikes on several areas in southern Lebanon, while artillery shelling continued until early Thursday, Lebanese state media reported.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli aircraft struck the Ali al-Taher heights and the vicinity of Al-Dabsha on the northern outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Dawhet Kfar Rumman.

The areas were also subjected to intermittent Israeli artillery shelling until dawn, the agency said.

Separately, Israeli forces carried out explosions overnight and early Thursday in the towns of Majdal Zoun and Al-Mansouri, accompanied by artillery shelling of both areas, according to NNA.

Also Read: Israeli airstrike kills 7, injures 3 in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

No information was immediately available on casualties or damage.

The latest attacks come amid continuing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon since Israel launched a large-scale offensive on Lebanon on March 2.

Israel and Lebanon have since been engaged in US-led negotiations aimed at ending the conflict and reaching security arrangements along the border.

The talks have focused on an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and security arrangements, including areas where Hezbollah would have no armed presence, as the sides seek to prevent renewed cross-border fighting.

Lebanon has demanded an end to Israeli attacks and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from its territory, while Israel has sought security guarantees concerning Hezbollah’s military presence in southern Lebanon.