Israel Strikes Syria’s Chemical Weapons Factories
The Israel Defense Forces struck suspected chemical weapons and long-range missile factories in Syria over the weekend.
Air strikes were reported near the Mezzeh military airport, southwest of Syria’s capital, on Sunday. Israeli officials later said they were targeting Syrian military bases, arms depots and facilities that were part of Syria’s chemical weapons and ballistic missile programs.
Unsecured stockpiles: Former Syrian President Bashar Assad repeatedly used chemical weapons to suppress opposition throughout the civil war. After Assad’s regime fell last week, Israel and its allies fear what could happen to the nation’s stockpiles of weapons.
“We have a responsibility to make sure strategic weapon systems don’t fall into the wrong hands,” an Israeli official told Axios.
The only interest we have is the security of Israel and its citizens. That’s why we attacked strategic weapons systems, like, for example, remaining chemical weapons or long-range missiles and rockets, in order that they will not fall in the hands of extremists.
—Gideon Saar, member of the Israeli Knesset
Predicted: Days before Assad’s regime fell, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry told Trumpet readers to “Expect Dramatic Change in Syria.” This forecast was based on Bible prophecy.
Since then, rebel groups have seized more territory, Assad has fled to Russia, and Syria’s Russia-Iran-backed regime continues to weaken.