Israeli forces continued their attacks on the Syrian military for a second day, confirming attacks on two more army posts and claiming a single mortar shell fired by an unknown faction, which strayed into the Israeli-occupied Golan, as the pretext for the continued strikes.
This follows attacks Sunday on several more military posts around Quneitra, which similarly the Israeli military justified on claims of a rocket that strayed across the border and did no damage. In that case too, officials conceded they didn’t know who fired the rocket, which likely was fired during fighting in southern Syria and just happened across the border.
Israeli military spokesmen claim that they consider the Syrian government responsible for everything that goes on in their war-torn country, and that attacking them is legitimate even if it’s for something they had no part in doing. This is largely the way Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have worked the last few years as well, attacking Hamas for rocket fire they concede Hamas is trying to prevent.
Syria is estimated to control only about 10% of the border with Israel at this point, with a coalition of Islamists dominated by al-Qaeda holding most of it. The al-Qaeda takeover put pressure on UN observers in the area, with al-Qaeda repeatedly targeting them. Israel has confirmed admitting al-Qaeda fighters into northern Israel for medical treatment and sending them back to Syria to continue fighting.