Israel admits to 50 airstrikes in Syria in 2020

The Israel Air Force said on Thursday it attacked around 50 targets in Syria over the course of 2020. Israel rarely admits to strikes in Syria, most of which are targeted against Shia groups and institutions linked to or backed by its arch-enemy Iran. 

Tehran, too, regards Israel as an arch-enemy and is deeply involved in the Syrian civil war, backing President Bashar al-Assad. Israel wants to prevent Iran from gaining too strong an influence in the region, especially in countries on its borders, like Syria. The number released on Thursday was part of a yearly summary issued by the Israel Defence Forces. The summary also reported several attempts by cells of the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shia Hezbollah movement to infiltrate its northern border.

It said that Palestinian militants launched 176 rockets into its territory, of which 90 fell in open fields and 80 were intercepted by its Iron Dome short-range missile defence system.  (dpa)