TEL AVIV, December 15. /TASS/. Israel is not interested in any confrontation with Syria and will build its policy toward Damascus based on the situation on the ground, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
"We have no interest in a conflict with Syria," his office quoted him as saying. "We will determine Israel’s policy toward Syria according to the emerging reality on the ground."
He recalled that Syria has been Israel’s enemy for decades, attacking Israel or letting others to attack Israel from its territory. Apart from that, it has been allowing Iran to arm Hezbollah via its territory.
"In order to ensure that this does not recur, ever, we have taken a series of intensive actions in recent days. Together with Defense Minister Katz, I have directed the IDF (Israel Defense Forces - TASS) to thwart the potential threats from Syria and prevent terrorist elements from taking control close to our border," he stated. "Over the course of several days, we have destroyed the capabilities that the [former Syrian President Bashar] Assad regime took decades to build."
According to Netanyahu, Israel also hit arms supply routes to Hezbollah from Syria to prevent rearming of Hezbollah. Israel, in his words, will continue acting "as long as it takes, in any zone and at any time" to avert threats from Iran and Hezbollah.