20-Aug-15: Rockets from Syria slam into Israel's north

Incoming Syrian fire caught on camera by an Israeli driver somewhere in
Northern Israel early this evening [Image Source]

We learned this afternoon of a heightened state of tension in southern Israel today. The authorities

deployed an Iron Dome missile defense battery to Ashdod in southern Israel. Gaza security coordinators received warnings Wednesday of possible rocket fire from the Gaza Strip... [Ynet]

The rocket fire eventuated, but not in the south. Early this evening (Thursday), four rockets fired from Syrian-controlled territory, landed in northern Israel, causing an outbreak of brush-fire but causing no injuries. According to AP, today was the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur war (when Egypt and Syria invaded Israel on its holiest day of the year) that Syrian rockets have crashed into Israel.

Keep in mind that Israeli hospitals and medical teams have treated streams of wounded and injured Syrians ["12-May-14: Opting for humanity in an ocean of savagery"] caught up in the Arab-on-Arab bloodbath during the past two years. That humanitarian policy remains in effect as of today, with no sign of it changing.

Times of Israel, quoting the IDF, says all four of this evening's rockets landed in Israel's northern Galilee region and in Israel's Golan Heights. No injuries are reported. And no Arab party has sought to claim credit so far, though it's early. Associated Press attributes the rocket fire to "militants" on behalf of "the Iran-backed Islamic Jihad group". Ynet says the rocket-fire originated in the Quneitra area

which is under Syrian President Bashar Assad's control and in which according to reports, Hezbollah operatives Samir Kuntar and Mustafa Mughniyeh have free rein [Ynet, tonight]

Previous in-coming rockets from Syria have been described as accidental by-products of the savagery devastating that country, but that's not the case this time. Commentary on Israel's Channel 2 news this evening said today's rockets were fired at Israeli territory with deliberate intent; they are not a "mere' spillover from Syria's civil war bloodbath.

Nor were they "merely" mortars (which are of course lethal). According to Israel Radio (here) these rockets were artillery shells. Later this evening, there have been reports of Israel responding with artillery fire on the Syrian settlements of Baath and Khan Arnabeh.

Israelis living in communities organized under the Upper Galilee Regional Council have been told to remain near safe places.