Israel Preparing for Possible Military Ground Operation in Syria: Reports

The Israeli military is preparing for a possible ground incursion into Syria in the event that Islamist rebels or Hezbollah fighters there launch an attack on the Jewish state, Israeli media reported Monday.

Ynet reported that Israel Defense Forces exercises in the Golan Heights this month have drilled responses to scenarios including northern Israel communities being targeted with a massive rocket barrage or a terrorist infiltration by jihadist fighters armed with anti-tank weapons, grenades and machine guns.

According to Roni Daniel, a prominent military affairs correspondent with Israel’s Channel 2 News, the IDF conducted a drill last week in the Golan that included the scenario of a limited military incursion over the border into Syria in the event of a large rocket attack on Israel.

Ynet reported that the drill included “aircraft and combat helicopters alongside tank-fire, artillery guns and even hundreds of reserve fighters.”

The possible IDF involvement in its neighbor’s years-long civil war reflects its concern over gains in the area by Islamist militants, including the Islamic State group and Nusra Front, compounded by the presence in Syria of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

Channel 2 reported that Israeli military officials believe some of the jihadist fighters possess chemical weapons.

A senior IDF officer told Israeli military correspondents Sunday that “the Iranians are using the [Syrian] border” to carry out attacks against Israel. According to the Times of Israel, he pointed to an incident in April in which four militants planted explosives on the border fence. An IDF aircraft struck them, as seen in video the IDF released Sunday:

Hezbollah has for years warned it aims to take the battle into Israeli territory and conquer the Galilee.

The militant group has sent thousands of fighters to Syria to combat the Sunni Islamic State group and other rebels working to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad.