Israel May Seize Advanced Weapons in Syria: Fears Syria to hand chemical weapons to Hezbollah
Israel is preparing for a possible military intervention in Syria in case the Syrian government hands missiles or chemical weapons to the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah, Defence Minister Ehud Barak said on Friday.
“I have instructed the military to increase its intelligence preparations and prepare what is needed so that … (if necessary) … we will be able to consider carrying out an operation,” Barak said in an interview on Channel 10 television.
“We are following … the possible transfer of advanced munitions systems, mainly anti-aircraft missiles or heavy
ground-to-ground missiles, but there could also be a possibility of the transfer of chemical means (weapons) from Syria to Lebanon,” he added.
“The moment (Syrian President Bashar al-Assad) starts to fall we will conduct intelligence monitoring and will liaise with other agencies,” Barak said.
Hezbollah, which has in the past received military and financial support from Syria and Iran, launched thousands of mainly short-range rockets into Israel during Israel’s 2006 offensive in southern Lebanon, but some longer-range rockets reached central Israel.