Syrian Media Deny Earlier Reports of Air Strike on Damascus Airport

Syrian state media outlets including broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya and the SANA news agency issued a report on Sunday claiming that Syrian air defences had repelled an attack near the Damascus international Airport, however, later in the day, quoting local sources, they took back the story, asserting that a strike did not happen.

The Syrian Observatory for Human rights said, however, there had been firing near the airport, Reuters reported.

"Several explosion sounds were heard in Damascus suburbs […] as air defenses were launched" near the airport, the UK-based war monitor said, quoted by Reuters.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations.

Israeli forces have repeatedly attacked what they claim are Iranian targets in Syria. In October, Russian-made S-300 air defense missile systems were supplied to Syria after a Russian reconnaissance plane was shot down by Syrian forces amid an Israeli missile attack.

CNN fires contributor for call to free Palestine

CNN on Thursday parted ways with contributor Marc Lamont Hill after a speech the college professor made on Israel and Palestine at the United Nations.

A CNN spokesperson confirmed Hill is no longer under contract. The network did not give a reason, but the move comes amid objections to Hill's speech by the Anti-Defamation League and other groups.

Hill, a professor of media studies at Temple University who had been a recurring political commentator on CNN, called for countries to boycott and divest from Israel in the Wednesday speech given for the UN's International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

"We have an opportunity to not just offer solidarity in words but to commit to political action, grass-roots action, local action and international action that will give us what justice requires and that is a free Palestine from the river to the sea," Hill said in the speech.

The ADL and others said the "river to the sea" phrase is code for the destruction of Israel.

"Those calling for 'from the river to the sea' are calling for an end to the State of Israel," the ADL's Senior Vice President for International Affairs, Sharon Nazarian, said in a statement, adding that the annual event at the UN "promotes divisiveness and hate."

Hill sent a series of tweets responding to his firing and defending his speech.

"My reference to 'river to the sea' was not a call to destroy anything or anyone," Hill said on Twitter. "It was a call for justice, both in Israel and in the West Bank/Gaza. The speech very clearly and specifically said those things."

"I support Palestinian freedom. I support Palestinian self-determination," Hill tweeted, adding, "I do not support anti-Semitism, killing Jewish people, or any of the other things attributed to my speech. I have spent my life fighting these things."

Netanyauhu Thanks US for Opposing UN Resolution on Golan Heights

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the United States on Sunday for voting against the UN resolution condemning Israel for occupying the Golan Heights area located at the Israeli-Syrian border.

On Friday, the United States voted at the UN General Assembly committee against the resolution for the first time ever after constantly abstaining from voting before. However, the resolution, which the UN General Assembly renews annually, was easily passed, with 151 countries supporting it, 14 others abstaining, and only the United States and Israel voting against it.

Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War between Israel and the neighbouring states of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The United Nations did not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the region and brokered a Syrian-Israeli armistice in 1974, urging Israel to leave parts of the Golan Heights.

In 1981, Israel adopted a law extending its jurisdiction over the territory, de-facto annexing the Golan Heights after managing the territory through a military administration for over a decade. This move has not been internationally recognized

Saudi Arabia Bans Muslims From Israel and Palestine from Hajj in Mecca

Saudi Arabia has decided to prevent the Hajj more than a million Israeli Muslims. Earlier, the people of Israel could make a pilgrimage with a temporary Jordanian passport. But, according to the new rules of Saudi Arabia, the aforementioned passport is no longer valid.

Thus, more than a million Israeli Muslims will no longer be able to enter the Kingdom, and thus deprived of the opportunity of the pilgrimage to Mecca that is one of the five pillars of Islam. This became known after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammad bin Salman al Saud and discussed the importance of maintaining regime stability.

Note that the pilgrimage to Mecca performed during the month of Ramadan. The lesser pilgrimage “Umrah” can be made at any time of the year and is not mandatory.

Israeli Muslims hitherto used a loophole in the 1978 law that allowed first to get a temporary passport in Jordan, and then travel with him to Saudi Arabia. But now the Kingdom has changed the rules. To travel on temporary documents will be prohibited during the December pilgrimage. Anyone wishing to make the pilgrimage will have to issue regular passports. This decision block on the border of Israeli Muslims, whose number amounts to 17% of Israel’s population.

Official representatives of Israeli Muslims stated that the law worked for 40 years. For some reason, it was decided to cancel it, is unknown. So, the pilgrimage, which was held in December, where already thousands of Israeli pilgrims to pass will not.

While neither the Jordanian nor the Israeli side has not received official explanations from Saudi Arabia.

Russian official says Syria has right to use all weapons to defend country

The Head of the Defense Committee at Duma Council Vladimir Shamanov said on Tuesday that Syria has the right to use all of its weapons to defend the country and maintain its territorial sovereignty.

In a statement to journalists on Tuesday, Shamanov said that the Russian-supplied S-300 air defense system are highly protective and Syria has the right to use them in order to protect its national interests.

He noted that the Syrian soldiers have completed the training exercises necessary to use the S-300 missiles independently.

The Russian official did not specify whether or not Moscow will send more military advisers to instruct the Syrian Army on the use of the S-300 system.

Shamanov’s comments come shortly after the Mayor of Jerusalem said that Israel will attack the S-300 systems if Syria downs an Israel aircraft during an attack.

Russia supplied Syria with most ‘modernized’ S-300 system – report

Moscow has delivered advanced S-300 air defense missiles to Syria to protect the country’s troops deployed in the war-torn Arab country in the wake of last month’s downing of a Russian reconnaissance plane during an Israeli airstrike in Latakia.

The three battalion sets of S-300PM-2 air defense missile handed over to Syria by Russia are more advanced compared to their conventional counterparts, the newspaper Izvestiya wrote, citing Defense Ministry sources in Moscow.

The S-300PM-2 system is equipped with a more advanced radar station, an improved target illumination and guidance station (firing radar) and a mobile command post.

Launchers have also been upgraded enabling the use of more advanced, powerful and long-range missiles, compared to the “classic” S-300.

Unlike conventional S-300s, the modernized air defense system can fire medium-range tactical ballistic missiles, while retaining its ability to destroy aerial targets up to 250 kilometers (155 miles) away.

The S-300PM-2 also boasts improved anti-jamming capability allowing it to operate in conditions of electronic warfare.

Contrary to media reports, the S-300PM-2 currently deployed in Syria will not be operated by Iranians because the only specialists who can operate this system are in Russia, the source told the newspaper.

US drone allegedly seen spying on new Syrian S-300 system

According to the Arabic-language section of Russia Today, a U.S. RC-135V reconnaissance drone flew hundreds of kilometers to the Syrian coastal province of Latakia to spy on the S-300 system.

The report said that the U.S. drone took off from the Souda Airbase in the Greek island of Crete.

No other details were released.

The U.S. Coalition has not commented on Russia Today’s claim.

The Syrian military received the S-300 air defense system in early October after tumultuous exchange of hostilities with the Israeli Air Force resulted in the downing of a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft off the coast of Latakia.

Israel and US military forces training against S-300 air defense system – report

The United States (U.S.) and Israel have allegedly sent a secret military group to Ukraine to train against the S-300 air defense system, Israel’s Hadashot TV reported yesterday.

In early October, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that they had successfully delivered the S-300 air defense system to Syria.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the move to supply Syria with the S-300 system was purely defensive and should not threaten any neighboring country.

Since the Russian delivery of the S-300 system, Israel has not bombed or entered Syrian airspace.

Syrian national flag hoisted over Golan Heights border as Quneitra Crossing reopens for first time in years

The Syrian national flag was hoisted over the Golan Heights border this afternoon, as the government announces the reopening of the Quneitra crossing.

The Syrian government recently decided to reopen the Quneitra crossing after restoring much of the area that was once controlled by the jihadist rebels.

Israel also agreed to reopen the crossing after a discussion with the Russian Ministry of Defense.

With the Quneitra crossing open to the public, several Syrians living in Golan Heights can visit their families on either side of the border.

Israel to continue Syria strikes despite S-300 delivery: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told a top Russian diplomat that Israel will continue to launch airstrikes against 'hostile targets' inside Syria in spite that the Syrian Army has recently received S-300 missile system.

Speaking at a press conference held in Jerusalem with Maxim Akimov on Tuesday, Netanyahu reiterated his state's right to fight what he called 'Iranian attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria and channel advanced weaponry to its Lebanese ally, the Hezbollah terror group".

"Despite the delivery of the S-300 air defense systems to the Syrian military, Israel was committed as a matter of self-defense to continue its “legitimate activity in Syria against Iran and its proxies, which state their intention to destroy us,” Netanyahu said.

Tensions between Russia and Israel have escalated since the downing of IL-20 plane on September 18 where Israeli warplanes were held responsible for the tragic incident.

In the wake of the incident, Russia decided to supply the Syrian Army with the advanced S-300 air defense missile systems in order to boost its defensive capability and protect the Russian forces in Syria.

Israel trying to show that S-300 in Syria did not change balance of powers - expert

Israel will continue air operations against Iranian forces and Lebanon's Hezbollah group despite Russia's delivery of S-300 missile systems to Syria, former Russian Ambassador to Damascus and political analyst Alexander Zotov told a roundtable in Moscow on Monday.

"There is a narrative in Israel, among experts, among political analysts and in the media, that is being fueled by statements of Defense Minister [Avigdor] Lieberman and even of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu himself, that generally 'we [Israel] are not going to deviate from our course of responding to any actions by Iran and Hezbollah which present a potential threat to us, and no one and nothing can stop us'," Zotov said. 

"That is why many people in Israel think that there could be some kind of a demonstrative attack, maybe even at an imaginary facility, maybe far away from all those systems being deployed in Syria now, in order to avoid striking any facilities with Russian servicemen, in order to make it look like everything is fine and everything goes according to plan," he added.

The expert noted Israel should be able to understand how risky it is to carry out such operations without coordination with Russia. "In the situation when our air defense systems are given to Syria, the responsibility for retaliatory strikes will lie with Syrians, and we will thus get a room for maneuver," Zotov said. "Because what Syrians do represents a natural right of any country to defend its territory from an outside threat," he added

U.S. general: Supplying Syria with S-300 missiles 'needless escalation'

A senior U.S. general harshly slammed Russia for delivering S-300 air defense system to Syria as a result of downing IL-20 plane on September 18.

Army General Joseph Votel, who oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, described Russia's decision as a 'needless escalation" and a "knee-jerk response" to downing the Russian aircraft.

Votel went further by accusing Moscow of help shielding "nefarious activities" carried out by Iranian and Syrian forces through deploying the S-300 system.

The S-300 deployment "appears to be an effort to cover for Iranian and Syrian regime nefarious activities in Syria. So, again, I think this is a needless, needless escalation," Votel told reporters at the Pentagon.

In the same context, Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, a member of Israel's security cabinet, acknowledged that the S-300 deployment was "a problematic matter for us."

"And it could be for the Americans too. This is a system which certainly makes things difficult for us and requires that solutions be found," Steinitz told Israel's Army Radio

Russia has decided to supply the Syrian Army with the advanced S-300 missiles after Israel was held responsible for downing a Russian IL-20 aircraft on September 18.

The tragic incident occurred while Israeli F-16s were carrying out air raids against Syrian Army positions in latakia city.

The first delivery of S-300 missiles has been unloaded in the Russian airbase of Hmiemim two days ago.

S-300 missiles in Syria can be destroyed, Israeli official says

An Israeli official said on Wednesday that Israeli Air Force can definitely defeat the S-300 missiles recently supplied to Syria.

“The operational abilities of the air force are such that those (S-300) batteries really do not constrain the air force’s abilities to act”, Tzachi Hanegbi, the country’s regional cooperation minister and a non-voting member of its security cabinet, said.

“You know that we have stealth fighters, the best planes in the world. These batteries are not even able to detect them”, Hanegbi added, referring to F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

Israel has been conducting air raids against positions it says they belong either to Iranian forces of Hezbollah group.

“We have clarified to the Syrians more than once that we will not step back from our commitment to prevent Iran’s entrenchment in Syria” he added.

“We were already forced, a few months ago, to destroy Syrian missile batteries, and I hope they won’t challenge us in the future”, Hanegbi commented in what can be seen as a padded threat to take action against the newly-supplied S-300 missile system.

Russia decided to provide Syria with the advanced S-300 air defense system after Israeli jets were held responsible for downing the IL-20 plane on September 18.

The Israeli Defense Forces denied the Russian claims, saying that the IAF did not hide behind any aircraft and that the Israeli aircraft were in Israeli airspace at the time of the downing of the Russian plane.

Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said that Israeli warplanes will carry on its strikes against positions in Syria despite of the fact that the Syrian Army is now in possession of S-300 air defense system.

Watch: S-300 missiles unloaded in Syria

Syria has received the advanced S-300 air defense missile system nearly two weeks after the Russian IL-20 plane was tragically shot down off the Syrian coast.

Last night, the first shipment of the advanced missiles was unloaded by a Russian cargo plane in the coastal airbase of Hmeimim.

The Syrian Army by then has received four S-300 air defense systems, as well as 49 devices which include radars, vehicles and launchers.

The Russian Defense Minister said that Syrian Army officers will undergo a training course to operate the S-300 missiles, in conjunction of establishing a unified system for the Syrian air defenses.

Russia declared it will supply the Syrian Army with the advanced missiles following the tragic downing of Russian IL-20 off the Syrian coast on September 18.

Even though the IL-20 was shot down by Syrian S-200 air defense missile by mistake, Russia held Israel completely responsible for the incident since the Israeli F-16 took cover of the IL-20; thus making it vulnerable to the Syrian air defenses.