Russia described Israeli airstrikes in Syria are “totally unacceptable” and demanded that it end its assault on the country. “We strongly condemn such irresponsible acts that violate Syria’s sovereignty and international law, and we demand their unconditional cessation,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Monday.
Her comments come just days after Israeli warplanes struck Iranian targets located in the Syrian town of Al Hamidiyah in the port city of Tartus, where Russia has a naval facility. According to Syrian media, the strikes wounded two civilians and caused heavy infrastructure damage.
SANA news agency reported that several poultry farms in the town were destroyed by the “air missile aggression.” It also released photos of the damage caused by the airstrikes.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the farms in Al Hamidiyah are “believed to be used militarily and commercially by Lebanese Hezbollah” and that the airstrikes were meant to prevent Iranian weapons shipments to the group.
According to Israeli Channel 12 News, the airstrike targeted a “game-changing” Iranian air defence system meant for the Syrian government.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said during a visit to Damascus on Monday that the region would no longer tolerate “the Zionist regime’s aggressive military attacks on Syria.” He condemned Western silence on Israel’s airstrike and described the West’s commitment to Syria’s peace and stability as laden with “double standards.”
This would be the first strike under Lapid if true: #Syria on Saturday accused #Israel of launching an "air aggression," with several missiles targeting an area to the south of Tartus. Note the location near the Russian naval base.https://t.co/Gvt2A2SKIO
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) July 2, 2022
Israel has recently stepped up its air assault on Syria, further straining its ties with Russia. Besides the Tartus strike, Russia has condemned recent Israeli strikes in Latakia, where Russia has an air base, and on the Damascus international airport. Following the Damascus attack, which destroyed part of a runway, Russia summoned the Israeli ambassador to express its displeasure. Russian troops also held joint exercises with Syrian forces following the attack.
Furthermore, Russia, Iran, and Turkey all condemned the “continuing Israeli military attacks in Syria” during the recently concluded Astana Format on Syria. They also stressed that the strikes violate international law and Syrian sovereignty and endanger regional security and stability. Accordingly, they demanded that Israel stop conducting airstrikes in Syria.
Over the last five years, Israel has launched over a thousand airstrikes in Syria against Iranian proxy groups and weapons transfers to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Israel has conducted pre-emptive airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria to prevent Iran from gaining a foothold in its neighbourhood.
According to #Israeli media, the airstrike of #IsraeliAirForce at a aviculture and its farm house near #Tartus, #Syria yesterday was due to presence of an #Iranian made air defense system recently transferred from Iran to Syhria by #IRGC Quds Force via port of Tartus. pic.twitter.com/U4nEmt9MyH
— Babak Taghvaee - The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) July 3, 2022
However, Following Russia’s intervention in the civil war in 2015 to prop up the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Israel has been forced to maintain a direct line of communication with Russia regarding its operations to prevent an incident in which Israeli airstrikes target Russian forces.
While Russia and Israel have so far been able to establish a common understanding regarding their role in the conflict, recent Israeli remarks condemning Russian atrocities in Bucha and Israel’s decision to send non-lethal weapons to Ukraine have angered Moscow. In fact, Russia fired anti-aircraft missiles for the first time at Israeli fighter jets in northwestern Syria in April.