Lebanon Accuses Israel of Violating Its Airspace for Attack on Syria

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry has accused Israel of violating its airspace as part of an attack on Syrian government facilities on Thursday. In a statement released on Saturday, including by the Associated Press, it emphasized that Lebanon will submit a protest note to the United Nations Security Council regarding this matter. The airstrike attributed to Israel targeted a military industrial facility in the city of Masyaf in Hama province early Thursday morning, September 7. Following this attack, the Syrian army immediately pointed the finger at Israel, stating that this 'desperate act' was aimed at 'boosting the morale of terrorists' and would have 'dangerous consequences' for regional stability. The Syrian army claims that two soldiers were killed during this attack. Israel has remained officially silent about the attack, but several reserve generals from the country, including former head of Israeli military intelligence Amos Yadlin, have implicitly confirmed the attack was carried out by Israel. The Associated Press also reports that the facility targeted in this attack is one that Israeli military and security officials have referred to as a center for producing weapons 'likely for Hezbollah in Lebanon.' Hezbollah is currently part of the Lebanese government under Prime Minister Saad Hariri, but although Lebanon has officially declared neutrality regarding the civil war in Syria, Hezbollah forces have been fighting alongside Syrian government forces against Assad's opponents. Hours after the attack on the Syrian military center, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated in a radio interview in Tel Aviv that 'Israel is not seeking military adventures in Syria but is determined not to allow enemies to harm us or threaten us.' Mr. Lieberman, who has explicitly warned about the dangers of Iran's consolidation in Syria, added in this radio interview that 'any event in the Middle East is possible, and Israel is prepared for any scenario.' The attack on Thursday, as Israeli media noted, is an 'unusual' strike that coincided with a large military exercise in northern Israel. In this context, the Haaretz newspaper wrote on Friday, September 8, that both the target chosen for the attack attributed to Israel and the timing of its execution are 'completely unusual.' This Israeli newspaper added that until now, attacks attributed to Israel have been against weapon convoys and relatively ordinary targets, but this attack, alongside a 'strong message' to Russian President Vladimir Putin, also sends a message to the Iranians that 'their plans for precision missile factories in Syria are not immune to damage.' Recently, Israel's Prime Minister has stated that Iran has established factories for precision missiles in Syria and Lebanon. However, Lebanon has denied the establishment of such facilities on its territory.