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How will Israel respond to Assad’s warning?

The missiles fired at Israeli fighter jets this week indicate that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad refuses to be held accountable for Syrian rebels’ stray mortar fire at Israel.
A man sits on an old tank as he watches fighting taking place in Syria as seen from the Israeli side of the border fence between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights September 11, 2016. REUTERS/Baz Ratner - RTSN7X9
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Until now, whenever a mortar shell or stray artillery fire from Syria’s civil war landed in Israeli territory in the Golan Heights, Israel made a point of attacking a Syrian position or mortar belonging to the Syrian troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. It was part of a formula developed by Israel over the past few years, ever since the Syrian civil war started lapping against the border fence in the Golan Heights. So far, the strategy has proved itself effective; the Israeli Golan Heights have remained relatively quiet, apart from a rather random and even rare dribble of mortar fire that landed here and there, in unpopulated areas.

Over the past two weeks, however, the situation has changed. The number of mortar shells landing in the Israeli Golan Heights has increased considerably. Meanwhile, Israel has concluded that an automatic response targeting the Syrian army has worn thin and is not necessarily the right response. “It is not impossible that the next time this happens, the various rebel groups will be the ones to take a hit from us,” a senior Israeli military source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “This game must end. We are completely aware of the fact that it is not just mortars and bombs fired by Assad’s army that are landing in Israeli territory. On quite a few occasions, it is rebel fire. As such, the immunity granted to the rebels until now is over. From this point on, whoever is responsible for the fire will suffer the brunt of the response.”

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