World holds its breath... Special report from Israel border as Iranian crisis engulfs region
– ISRAELI DEFENCE CHIEF YESTERDAY
DEEP inside the Golan Heights, the first sign of danger was the wail of sirens in the early hours.
Over the years they have become used to attacks here. But this one was different. For the first time, Iranian forces deliberately fired 20 missiles into the Israeli-held territory from inside neighbouring Syria.
Israel reacted immediately, launching is “biggest military response in decades” – striking 50 military targets.
In the most direct confrontation between the two countries to date, the enemies exchanged fire for several hours.
Issuing a stark warning, Israel’s Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said: “If it rains in Israel, there will be a biblical flood on the other side.”
He added: “We are now facing a new reality, one in which Iran... is trying to attack Israel, to harm our territory. And it won’t happen.
“I hope we finished this chapter and everyone got the message.”
Shortly after dawn, at a border point near the village of Merom
Golan, I watched two soldiers climb out of a bunker following their night-time guard duty.
Clutching green sleeping bags and Uzi submachine guns, they looked shattered.
One said: “It was five hours of constant missiles. It never seemed to stop. Tonight who knows what will happen?”
In many nearby towns, families evacuated to bomb shelters when they heard the sirens. Earlier in the
week Jerusalem ordered all local authorities to be prepared for an imminent attack. Shortly after midnight, the army moved in to seal off roads and prevent cars entering any potentially dangerous areas. But there was a sense of heightened fear among locals because of direct Iranian involvement for the first time. Shop owner and seamstress Drurit Kaufman, 67, who works barely a
mile from the border, said: “I’m more concerned this time just because the Iranians are involved. That makes it slightly different from times in the past.
“I’m a little afraid but I am confident that the Israeli army can handle it.”
Doctor Idit Shub, 38, is in the area organising a series of cycle races. She said: “We’ve just decided to postpone them for three weeks. Cycling should be about fun, not about missiles.”
There is a large Israeli army presence in Golan. Dozens of troops patrolled roads and I counted 12 tanks in a compound three miles from the border.
Of the 20 missiles fired towards Golan, four were shot down by the Israeli defence system called the Iron Dome. The rest appeared to fall short of their targets and no injuries were reported.
Yesterday’s clash came barely 24 hours after US President Donald Trump’s decision to rip up the Iran nuclear deal. And the Israelis insisted they had no doubt who was responsible.
Brigadier General Ronen Manelis, spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces, said: “This was an Iranian event and a significant event, and it will not be tolerated.” The Iranian barrage and Israeli counter attack is said to be the largest exchange in Syria since the 1973 Yom Kippur war. Israel said it had successfully struck dozens of targets all linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force. They included intelligence sites, logistics headquarters, a military compound, weapons storage sites, intelligence systems and installations, as well as observation, military posts and military hardware. The Iranian launcher from which the missiles and rockets were fired was also destroyed.
There was no immediate comment from Iran, which has alarmed Israel by deploying troops to help President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war.
Russia, which is also supporting Assad, said 28 Israeli F-15 and F-16 aircraft released 60 air-to-ground missiles, while at least 10 tactical ground-to-ground missiles were fired.
The anti-Assad Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 23 fighters, including five Syrian regime troops and 18 other allied forces, were killed in the attacks.
Iran has repeatedly called for an end to the very existence of Israel.
Britain condemned Iran’s actions and PM Theresa May spoke to Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone yesterday. Her spokesman said: “Israel has every right to defend itself. We call on Iran to refrain from any further attacks and for calm on all sides.”
Mr Netanyahu said in a video address that Iran had “crossed a red line”.
Russia, Germany and France called on Iran and Israel to show restraint. But the US said Iran bore “full responsibility for the consequences of its reckless actions”.
It was five hours of missiles. It never seemed to stop. Who knows what’ll happen tonight? ISRAELI SOLDIER ON LEAVING HIS BUNKER YESTERDAY MORNING
IN a conflict-scarred Middle East the military exchanges between Israel and Iran could escalate to become potentially catastrophic.
The two countries firing missiles at each other is in the interests of neither when the price of all out war would be terrifyingly high.
Britain is right to join Germany, France and Russia in calling on both combatants to exercise restraint to end these clashes before they spiral out of control.
Enough blood is spilled in Syria and Yemen. Adding to it with another Middle East war would create fresh human tragedies.