Missile alert sounded in Golan Heights, Israeli military confirms

Israeli military has confirmed that three rockets were launched from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights

Israel confirms 3 rockets fired from Syria towards Golan Heights amid rising tensions. AFP

The Israeli military has confirmed that a missile alert was sounded in the Golan Heights on Friday.

Israeli media reports suggest that three rockets were fired from Syria towards Israel. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) stated that their aerial defence systems were activated in response to the attack.

One of the rockets landed in Syria, the second in Jordan, and the third in Moshav Mitzar in the Golan, according to the reports.

The Israeli Defence Forces told The National: “Following previous reports regarding sirens that sounded, three rockets were launched from Syria into Israeli territory.

“One of the rockets crossed into Israeli territory and landed in open areas in the southern Golan Heights. No interceptors were launched in accordance with the policy.”

This latest attack from Syria is the latest development as regional tensions mount over last week’s Israeli raids on the Al Aqsa mosque.

According to The Times of Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited opposition leader Yair Lapid for a security briefing amid soaring tensions in the region.

The invitation comes amidst a series of violent incidents in the region, including a rocket attack from Syria on Saturday, a barrage of rockets from Lebanon on Thursday, and tit-for-tat rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and Israeli strikes over the past week.

Additionally, there have been clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Temple Mount and deadly terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. There was also a suspected Iranian drone launched from Syria earlier in the week.

Israel steps up air raids on Syria

In recent weeks Israel has ramped up air raid attacks in neighbouring Syria, targeting Syrian government and Iranian positions in an attempt to head off Iranian influence in the war-torn country.

Saturday’s attack on the Israel-occupied Golan the latest development against a backdrop of increased regional tensions between Israel and its neighbours.

On Thursday, a volley of over 30 rockets was fired from Lebanon towards Israel. Israel retaliated with air strikes into south Lebanon.

So far and despite the prevailing tensions, there have been no reported casualties from the cross-border strikes.

Israel allocates resources to enforce police activities

Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant has instructed the country's defence establishment to allocate resources and IDF troops to enforce the activities of the Israel Police, according to a statement released on Saturday.

The decision was made after an operational situation assessment was completed. Gallant stated that the forces to be deployed will be determined by the professional echelon.

In addition to the deployment of troops, Gallant has decided to expand the closure on Judea and Samaria and to close the crossings along the Gaza border until after the second night of Passover. This includes the cancellation of civilian measures that were approved ahead of Ramadan and the entrance of workers into Israel.

The reason behind the decision is yet to be clarified, but tensions remain high in the region after a missile alert was sounded in the Golan Heights on Friday, with reports suggesting that three rockets were fired from Syria towards Israel. The Israeli military confirmed that one of the rockets crossed into Israeli territory and landed in open areas in the southern Golan Heights.

In light of these developments, Israel has been taking measures to increase security in the region. “We have a responsibility to protect our citizens and will continue to do so,” Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Friday.

The missile alert came a day after a shooting incident in the West Bank, in which two Israelis were killed and their mother injured.

The situation in the region is tense, with continuing conflicts between Israel and Syria, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the West Bank.

The Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War, has been a point of contention between the two countries for decades.

This is a developing story …