At least two Syrian citizens were killed near Damascus on Monday, March 7, in a missile attack carried out by Israel. The unprovoked attack also caused substantial material damage in the locality of Dayhat Harasta, Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
The missile attack was carried out early in the morning around 5 am from Lebanese airspace in the southern parts of the country. According to SANA, some of the missiles were intercepted by Syrian air defense.
This was the second such attack by Israel within a fortnight. On February 24, Israeli aggression killed at least three Syrian soldiers. Israel carried out similar attacks in Quneitra province a day earlier as well.
As is its policy, Israel did not acknowledge the attacks on Monday. Some unconfirmed reports said that the attacks were intended to target alleged Iranian bases in the country.
The continuing Israeli aggression against Syria and absence of its reporting in the media across the world has led several commentators to question this silence, particularly at a time when Russian aggression in Ukraine is getting extensive coverage. Syrian journalist Richard Medhurst stated that the lack of coverage about Israeli aggression in western media is due to the reluctance to “upset their friends in Tel Aviv”.
Here's the aftermath of israel's bombing of Syria last night. Two civilians were killed. Of course this won't even make the news in the West because they don't want to upset their friends in Tel Aviv, and public displays of outrage and compassion are only reserved for Ukrainians. pic.twitter.com/F4KhCnyvMP
— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) March 7, 2022
Commentators have raised the issue of the West’s apathy towards people in Syria at a time when western countries are busy “boycotting” and sanctioning Russia over its aggression in Ukraine. Several people have pointed out the hypocrisy in these countries not imposing similar sanctions on Israel despite its involvement in unprovoked bombings inside a sovereign nation and killing innocent civilians there.
I look forward to hearing corporate media call for a No-Fly Zone and the immediate suspension of operations by Visa, MasterCard, Apple, Disney, IKEA, Netflix, BP, Shell, Exxon, Boeing, Airbus, Ford, Harley, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, Airbnb, H&M, Nike, Dell, and Facebook. https://t.co/X68Yu0blEf
— Wyatt Reed (@wyattreed13) March 7, 2022
Israel has been carrying out air and missile attacks in Syria since the beginning of the war in the country in 2011. However, it rarely acknowledges such attacks. When it does, it claims to be acting in self defense against alleged Iranian presence in the country. The Syrian government has refuted the Israeli claims and said that the attacks inside Syria are carried out to divert the government’s efforts to end the war, and to aid “terrorist” elements in their fight against the Bashar al-Assad government.
Both Syria and Lebanon have filed numerous complaints in the UN Security Council in the past asking it to take action against Israeli violation of their sovereignty and the UN charter. However, the UNSC has not initiated any action against Israel yet.
