WarSclerotic

Following Syrian reports that Israel launched strikes against at least four targets within Syrian territory, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoabi declared on Sunday that “Israel’s aggression will bring Syria to declare war against it.” Syria and Israel have technically been in a state of war since 1948, although there has been no open warfare between them in recent decades.

The Syrian army reported that at least 500 soldiers had been killed in the Israeli attacks. One of the reported targets was at the Jamraya military research center, which Western officials have claimed is involved in the research of chemical weapons. According to Al-Jazeera, witnesses heard a huge explosion near the facility overnight Saturday, saying that it felt like an earthquake.

Saturday’s strike was the second suspected Israeli strike in two days. On Friday, Israeli aircraft reportedly hit a shipment of missiles headed for Hezbollah in Syria, according to foreign sources.

According to the BBC, Syrian state media claimed that the attack proved an organic link between Israel and the Syrian rebels.

“The new Israeli attack is an attempt to raise the morale of the terrorist groups, which have been reeling from strikes by our noble army,” BBC quoted Syrian state TV as saying.

The rebel Free Syrian Army, which has been fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, also condemned the attack.

“Of course the Free Syrian Army and any Syrian is bothered that their country is being bombed, but Syria is being bombed every day by Bashar al-Assad, and by Israel,” Free Syrian Army media and political coordinator Louay Meqdad told Al-Jazeera.

“We wonder why there are so many missiles and military installations around Damascus when they should be close to the cease-fire line with Israel on the Golan Heights. For us, the operations that we carry out every day are not related to Israeli attacks or anything else, and we will continue to fight until the fall of Assad,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sky News reported that the military and political leadership of Syria had convened an emergency meeting in Damascus to weigh retaliation options.

Iran, a supporter of Hezbollah and the Syrian regime, also issued a response to the strikes on Sunday, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman saying, “Israeli aggression against Syria aims to undermine the security in the region and upset regional stability.”

The spokesman urged the nations of the region to condemn the attacks, saying, “The countries of this region must take action and resolutely stand up to Israeli aggression toward Syria. The occupation entity [Israel] is trying to spark an ethnic civil war between Islamic nations, so it can destroy the situation in the region.”

Iran is even willing train the Syrian army, the commander of the Iranian ground forces told the Iranian state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

“We will stand by Syria, and if the need should arise, we can provide the necessary training,” he said. “We won’t take an active role in its operations. The Syrian army is experienced in dealing with the Zionist regime. They can take care of themselves; they don’t need foreign assistance.”