Palestine resistance groups slam Israel strike in Syria

By Nour Abu Aisha</p> <p>GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Hamas and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) have both condemned an Israeli air attack carried out Sunday night inside Syrian territory.</p> <p>“We condemn this Israeli aggression, which only serves to reconfirm that the Zionist entity is the main enemy of the Ummah [i.e., the Muslim people],” Hamas spokesman Abdelatif al-Qanou said Monday.</p> <p>In a separate statement, the DFLP said Sunday’s raids were meant to “distract Syria from its fight against terrorism and its efforts to restore its full sovereignty”. </p> <p>The strikes, the group added, were also intended to “cover the crimes of the [Israeli] occupation and save [Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu from the many graft allegations he faces”.</p> <p>Four Syrian troops were killed Sunday night — and another six injured — when Israeli warplanes struck targets in Damascus, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.</p> <p>The Israeli military says it targeted positions near the Damascus International Airport held by Iran's elite Quds Force.</p> <p>Syria's official SANA news agency has confirmed the strikes, saying they were carried out between 2.11 a.m. and 2.56 a.m. local time [1211GMT and 1256GMT].</p> <p>According to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the air raids caused &quot;substantial damage&quot; to the airport.</p> <p>Israel also claims that the strikes degraded the Syrian regime’s air-defense capabilities.</p> <p>Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel had previously attacked Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria several times. </p> <p>Israel frequently accuses Tehran of exploiting the conflict in Syria — where Iran supports the ruling Assad regime — to establish a permanent military presence near Israel’s border.