Israel's illegal strikes kill 11 in Syria

Ayman Ahmed

Muharram 14, 1442 2020-09-02

Daily News Analysis

by Ayman Ahmed

The Zionist regime continues to carry out deadly illegal strikes in Syria, killing and wounding dozens of people.

The latest Israeli attack occurred on the night of August 31 near Damascus in which 11 people were killed, according to the Jerusalem Post quoting the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

“Syrian air defenses intercepted missiles over the southern region of the country on Monday [August 31] near Damascus, state television cited a Syrian military source as saying,” the Israeli paper went on.

Giving details of casualties, SOHR said the strikes reportedly killed seven fighters of non-Syrian nationalities and three Syrian soldiers.

A woman was also killed by shrapnel in the Israeli strike.

The Syrian news agency SANA said the woman’s husband was injured in the blast.

In their customary arrogance, the Zionist military did not confirm whether it had carried out the attack against another sovereign country.

The Israeli military spokesperson Hidai Zilberman, however, told KAN Reshet Bet radio on September 01 that “IDF is working to secure strategic objectives with a series of operations, especially in the northern sector.”

Israel has repeatedly attacked targets in Syria and those of allied militias, including Lebanon’s Hizbullah.

On August 28, Hizbullah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed that his movement would avenge the death of one its members killed in an earlier Israeli attack.

He said, if the Zionist occupation forces kill one of our members, we will kill one of their soldiers.

“We will maintain our deterrence”, said the Hizbullah leader.

Israeli air force has frequently attacked Syria in flagrant violation of international law.

Israeli drones also regularly violate Lebanese air space, again in violation of international law and the UN Charter.

If Syria or Hizbullah retaliate for such Israeli crimes, rulers in the West immediate rush to Israel’s defence and denounce those that act in self-defence.

It has become abundantly clear that as long as the Zionist regime continues to carry out its illegal attacks against others including Palestinians, there will be no peace in the region.

People under occupation have the fundamental right to defend themselves by “whatever means necessary”, under international law.

Stanley Cohen, a specialist in International Law, wrote: “Long ago, it was settled that resistance and even armed struggle against a colonial occupation force is not just recognised under international law but specifically endorsed.

“In accordance with international humanitarian law, wars of national liberation have been expressly embraced, through the adoption of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (pdf), as a protected and essential right of occupied people everywhere.”

Zionist Israel and its arrogant rulers will pay the price for such murderous policies.

(Ayman Ahmed filed this report from Beirut)