Israel outraged by US leak about Syrian strike

The US intelligence leak that confirmed Israeli warplanes attacked Syrian territories has stirred considerable anger in Israel, with officials accusing the US of causing damage to Israel.

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Israel’s Yedioth Aharonoth newspaper reports that after the US leaked the information confirming that Israel’s Air Force was responsible for the attack against a Syrian military site in Latakia, senior officials in Israel expressed outrage.

American news channel CNN quoted a US source yesterday who revealed that the Israeli Air Force attacked a Syrian site which contained PSA-17 anti-aircraft missiles.

The Israeli newspaper further explained that: “it is estimated that the missiles were to be transferred from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The US-leaked information reflects the deep political differences between the US and Israel, especially since this is the third time that Washington has leaked information about Israeli air strikes in Syria.”

An Israeli official described the leaks as indicative of Washington’s fear of a regional war erupting. The US is concerned that at some point Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad will feel that he cannot ignore the raids anymore and will join Hezbollah and perhaps Iran as well. “This US leak is very serious, especially as it comes from a strategic ally of Israel,” the official added.

The newspaper rationalised the attack by suggesting that the targeted missiles in the Syrian territories posed a threat to the Israeli warplanes that constantly hover over Lebanese airspace, saying that “they would have threatened the Israeli Air Force if they had reached Hezbollah’s hands.”

Israeli incursions into Lebanese airspace are a breach of Lebanon’s sovereignty and a violation of UN Resolution 1701.