Israeli forces shot down a Syrian fighter jet that had entered Israeli airspace on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces announced. But Syria's state-run news agency denied this, and accused Israel of targeting a fighter jet over Syrian airspace.
In a tweet, the Israel Defense Forces announced: “Two Patriot missiles were launched at a Syrian Sukhoi fighter jet that infiltrated about 1 mile into Israeli airspace. The IDF monitored the fighter jet, which was then intercepted by the Patriot missiles.”
Two Patriot missiles were launched at a Syrian Sukhoi fighter jet that infiltrated about 1 mile into Israeli airspace. The IDF monitored the fighter jet, which was then intercepted by the Patriot missiles. pic.twitter.com/owL4Pm7zER
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 24, 2018
The last time Israel shot down a Syrian plane was in September 2014, when another Syrian warplane violated Israeli airspace.
The Syrian Arab News Agency, which is controlled by Syria's government, admitted that Israel had shot at a Syrian jet, but claimed that it was over Syrian airspace and would not say whether or not the plane was actually hit. The plane, SANA said, was carrying out military raids against “armed terrorist groups” when it was targeted.
A second tweet from the IDF read: “Since this morning, there has been an increase in the internal fighting in Syria and the Syrian Air Force's activity. The IDF is in high alert and will continue to operate against the violation of the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement.”
Since this morning, there has been an increase in the internal fighting in Syria and the Syrian Air Force's activity. The IDF is in high alert and will continue to operate against the violation of the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement.
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 24, 2018
The 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement was signed by Israel and Syria in Washington, D.C., under the supervision of President Richard Nixon's secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, and marked the end of the Yom Kippur War.
The agreement outlined the boundaries of the territory belonging to each nation, and stated that "Israel and Syria will scrupulously observe the cease-fire on land, sea and air and will refrain from all military actions against each other.”
Over the weekend, Israeli forces took part in a joint operation to rescue the White Helmets, a volunteer group that was providing aid to victims of Syria's 7 1/2-year long civil war. Although the White Helmets offer aid to anyone who needs it on either side of the conflict, the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad views them as terrorists because they offer humanitarian aid to his opponents.
Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom agreed that the White Helmets were facing an immediate threat from the regime. At the urging of President Donald Trump, Israeli forces evacuated 422 people, including White Helmet volunteers and their families from Syria, across Israel and into Jordan where the Jordanian government had agreed to grant them temporary sanctuary.
Syria criticized this evacuation as a “criminal operation” carried out by “Israel and its tools.”
