Syrian state media reported that Israeli warplanes hit targets south of Damascus around 4:20 a.m. Friday, injuring one person and causing property damage. Hours later, the country’s Ministry of Transport announced that it would suspend incoming and outgoing flights at the airport, citing technical disruptions. ImageSat International (ISI) said the strikes “completely shut down” operations on both runways of the airport. Each treadmill appeared to have been hit three times. In separate rocket attacks in April and May, other sections of one of the corridors were damaged in attacks attributed to Israel. According to the ISI, these strikes significantly reduced the length of the runway and prevented large planes from landing. Friday’s strike “shut down the entire airport until it was repaired,” ISI said. Get the Times of Israel Daily E-mail and never miss our top stories By registering, you agree to the terms Russia’s foreign ministry on Friday night condemned the “vicious practice” of Israeli raids on civilian infrastructure, saying it was “provocative” and “in violation of the basic rules of international law.” Israel has repeatedly accused Iran of smuggling weapons and missile development systems from Tehran to Lebanese terrorist representative Hezbollah using civilian flights through Syria. This photo released by ImageSat International on June 10, 2022, shows Damascus International Airport in Syria following an air raid attributed to Israel (ImageSat International) Last month, a spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces in Arabic claimed that the son-in-law of the assassinated commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Kassem Suleimani, was behind the operation. Avichay Adraee accused Iran and Hezbollah of “endangering civilians” by smuggling weapons through civilian flights to Damascus International Airport in order to “maintain confidentiality”. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in Syria over the years, but rarely recognizes or discusses such operations. He says he is targeting bases of Iran’s allied militias, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which has fighters deployed in Syria in support of Assad’s government forces, as well as weapons shipments believed to be intended for various proxies. Israeli strikes have continued on Syrian airspace, which is largely controlled by Russia, although ties with Moscow have deteriorated in recent weeks. Israel has come out in opposition to Russia as it increasingly supports Ukraine, while seeking to maintain freedom of movement in the Syrian skies. Late Monday night, Syrian state media reported that Israeli missiles had targeted Syrian army positions south of Damascus, causing damage but no casualties. Also this week, Israeli tanks reportedly bombed a Syrian military post in a demilitarized section of the Golan Heights. It is not (only) for you. Times of Israel support is not a transaction for an online service such as subscribing to Netflix. The ToI community is reaching out to people like you who are interested in a common good: ensuring that Israel’s balanced, responsible coverage continues to be available to millions around the world, free of charge. We’re sure to remove all ads from your page and give you access to some amazing community-only content. But your support gives you something deeper than that: the pride of being involved in something that really matters. Join the community Times of Israel Join our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it You are a devoted reader We’re really glad you read the X Times of Israel articles last month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide demanding readers like you with the coverage they need to read about Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we have not created a paywall. However, as the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers for whom the Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel. For just $ 6 a month you can support our quality journalism by enjoying Times of Israel WITHOUT ADVERTISING, as well as access to exclusive content available only to members of the Times of Israel Community. Thanks, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of the Times of Israel Subscribe to our community Subscribe to our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it
