'Israel is determined to foil threats, be they near or far'

Syria on Thursday filed a complaint with the U.N. Security Council alleging Israeli fighter jets breached its airspace and struck a military facility in northwestern Syria.

The Syrian army reported Thursday that an airstrike near the town of Masyaf, about 25 miles north of the Syria-Lebanon border, had destroyed a facility housing chemical weapons and stockpiles of missiles. Syrian media attributed the strike to the Israeli Air Force, as Damascus warned against the "dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region."

Israel made no official comment on the accusation. A military spokeswoman declined to discuss the reports, saying the IDF does not comment on operational matters.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry's complaint to the Security Council accused Israel of "repeated aggressions" against Damascus and of "systematic behavior with the aim of protecting Nusra Front and Islamic State terrorists."

Israel, Syria accused, "is acting on behalf of terrorist groups that are carrying out its aggressive agenda and in response to the great achievements made by the Syrian Arab Army and its allies in their war against terrorism.

"These attacks ... are a direct support to terrorism, taking into account that the Syrian Arab Army is fighting terrorism on behalf of the entire world," the complaint read.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry urged the Security Council to take "decisive action to put an end to such blatant attacks," Syrian state media reported.

While Jerusalem remained mum on the issue, defense officials said Israel "does what it takes" to ensure national and public security.

"Israel will do everything necessary to prevent the existence of a Shiite corridor from Iran to Damascus," Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday.

The raging civil war in Syria "is their business, not ours. Our only concern is Israel's security. The statements the Syrian government makes, the opposition too -- that's of no interest to me, and I won't comment on them.

"Over the years, we have always taken into account that unfortunately, we have to prepare for every option in the Middle East. We prepared but we're not looking for adventure. We don't want to get dragged into anyone's fights but we are willing and determined to defend ourselves and ensure the safety and security of the Israeli public," Lieberman said.

Director of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. Herzl Halevi noted that Israel's first concern was to generate clear deterrence opposite its enemies.

"The threats Israel faces come primarily from armed organizations backed and funded by Iran. These are serious threats, but not existential ones, and we're dealing with them -- be they near or far -- with determination. Iran strives to insert itself on our borders in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza; it floods our region with lethal weapons and an equally dangerous ideology. Its leaders want to destroy Israel, but anyone privy to a hint of our intelligence activity knows that they [Iran's leaders] are likely to be disappointed. "

Israel's enemies, Halevi stressed, "know very well the results of the combination of exact intelligence and our capabilities."

He noted that "the Military Intelligence Directorate influences reality by providing decision-makers with recommendations for action, but it is also becoming an actor in the sphere of influence that employs methods best left clandestine.

"We live in a very noisy environment that is changing rapidly. We need to rapidly impact [developments], but we are committed, first and foremost, to generating deterrence. We must also always remember our duty to balance the circumstances of reality and the consequences of our actions," he said.

Foreign media reports often attribute airstrikes on Syrian weapon convoys heading to Hezbollah in Lebanon to Israel, as it has repeatedly stated that it would not allow the Shiite terrorist group to obtain advanced weapons. Thursday's strike, however, targeted a facility believed to be a missile production site.

Former Director of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin, said that the reported strike was not routine, and that it had targeted a Syrian military scientific center.

"The facility at Masyaf also produces chemical weapons and barrel bombs that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians," Yadlin tweeted.

He noted the alleged strike may have sought to underscore the message that Israel would not let Syria produce strategic weapons, would enforce its own red lines, and would not be hampered by Russian air defense systems in Syria.

Thursday's strike came exactly 10 years after a mysterious airstrike destroyed a suspected nuclear facility complex in the Deir ez-Zor region in eastern Syria.

No country has ever officially claimed responsibility for the strike, but media worldwide attributed that strike to Israel as well.

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