Over the last two years, Israel has employed two different and even contradictory military strategies: one on its northern front against Syria, Hezbollah and Iran, and the other on its southern front against Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other “recalcitrant” organizations in Gaza.

In the north, Israel is constantly on the offensive and — according to foreign reports — quick to threaten, initiate and exact a price from the enemy. In the south, however, Israel has adopted a cautious tone of containment and is on guard to avoid being dragged into a military confrontation. In short, Israel shows a lot less initiative in the south and takes Hamas’ needs into account. In the north, however, Israel uses all its strength to fan the flames of domestic Iranian conflicts and try to undermine the ayatollah-led regime. In the south, Israel uses all its strength to maintain and protect Hamas' rule.

Another mysterious aerial assault in Syria was reported on June 25, this time close to the Damascus airport. Several missiles, evidently launched from a fighter jet, struck trucks containing a shipment of weapons and ammunition that a little earlier had been unloaded from a transport plane that had arrived from Tehran. The attack is attributed to Israel, which is keeping quiet on the matter. It is the second attack in a week attributed to the Israeli air force on Syrian soil. No one has even tried to keep count of the strikes allegedly conducted by Israel since the beginning of the year.

The attacks are, ostensibly, a direct, determined continuation of Israel's policy of enforcing its redlines on the transfer of weapons and arms from Iran to the Syrian front and of anything that falls under the category of “Iranian consolidation in Syria.” The policy is based on a strategy presented by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot to the Israeli Cabinet last May: frequent and ongoing use of force, real-time thwarting of all Iranian efforts to base itself in Syria and exacting an immediate price from President Bashar al-Assad's regime if and when the Iranians or Hezbollah retaliate against Israel from Syrian territory.