Late last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed the Jewish state’s commitment to counter Iran in Syria despite Washington’s recent announcement to withdraw US troops from the Arab country.
In the past four years, the Israeli army has mainly focused on preventing Iran’s “entrenchment in Syria”, according to outgoing Israel Defence Forces (IDF) chief Gadi Eisenkot. He is due to wrap up his four-year tenure next month.
Israel has been conducting airstrikes on Syrian territory, in what the Jewish state claims is aimed at destroying Iranian military objects and convoys with weaponry. Tel Aviv insists that Tehran is transferring armaments to the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, which the latter uses against Israel, through the Arab Republic.The US announced the pull-out of its forces from Syria on December 19. President Donald Trump said that since obliterating Daesh* was the key goal of the US military in Syria, the troops should now return home following the alleged defeat of the terrorists.