(Washington, D.C.) — Please keep praying for peace in the Middle East. Violence is spreading and tensions are running high.
ISIS forces remain on the move in Syria and Iraq, capturing more territory, battling hard to overthrow the Assad regime in Damascus and hoping to get into position to bring down the Maliki government in Baghdad.
Syrian forces on Sunday killed an Israeli teenage boy and wounded two Israeli civilians in attacks against the Israeli side of the border.
In the south, Palestinian terrorists in Gaza have fired at least 20 rockets at Israel since June 15th.
Earlier this month, Hamas terrorists kidnapped three Israeli teenage boys.
The Israeli Air Force has now retaliated in Syria and Gaza, and a massive manhunt continues for the three Israeli youths.
Again, please keep praying and urging others to pray.
Here is the latest on the new Israeli air strikes in Syria:
“The Israeli Air Force launched retaliatory air strikes on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights overnight Sunday-Monday, confirming direct hits on nine army positions belonging to the Assad regime — including a regional command center – after a 15-year-old boy was killed earlier Sunday in an attack on the Israeli side,” reports the Times of Israel.
“The IDF targeted nine Syrian army positions in response to the earlier attack that originated in Syria killing an Israeli teenager and injuring two other Israeli civilians. The targeted sites include Syrian [regional] military headquarters and launching positions,” the IDF said in a statement.
“Citizens in northern Israel reported hearing large explosions shortly after midnight,” noted the Times, citing Ynet News.
“IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said Sunday’s deadly attack on a car in the Golan Heights, which killed a Mohammed Karkara and injured three others, was ‘an unprovoked act of aggression against Israel, and a direct continuation to recent attacks that occurred in the area.’ Military officials said the car was hit by anti-tank fire from an area under the control of Assad regime forces, though one rebel commander told the Times of Israel it was possible the regime had targeted the car with a heat-seeking missile. In response, Israeli tanks fired at Syrian army positions.”
“The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to breach Israel’s sovereignty and will act in order to safeguard the civilians of the State of Israel,” Lerner said….
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke afterward with Mohammed Karkara’s father Fehmi Karkara and offered his condolences,” reported the Times.
“Israel’s enemies are using every means, they don’t hesitate to attack civilians or kill children, as happened this morning,” Netanyahu said at a Jewish media conference in Jerusalem. “They don’t differentiate between the Jewish and non-Jewish citizens of Israel. As a people, our heart breaks at the kidnap of every child, at the killing of every child and I am sure that I speak for all of you when sending our condolences to the grieving family.”
- On Sunday, Israeli tanks fired at positions held by Syrian government forces, after a 14-year-old Israeli boy was killed and three others were wounded when an anti-tank projectile fired from within Syria struck near the border fence on the Golan Heights.
- Muhammad Fahmi Krakara was sitting in a truck with his father, who was doing maintenance work on the fence for the Defense Ministry along with two other contract workers. One employee suffered serious injuries, the father was moderately wounded and the third employee was lightly injured.
- On Sunday, an Israel Defense Forces officer said it was not known whether Syrian government forces or rebels fired the anti-tank missile, though the segment of the border fence where it landed is under rebel control.
- The slain boy’s father and the seriously injured employee were evacuated to Rebecca Sieff Hospital in Safed, and the worker with light wounds was taken to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.
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