Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian Civil War

Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian Civil War
Part of the Quneitra Governorate clashes (2012–2014)
Ceasefire line between Syrian controlled territory and the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights in 2004. The white buildings to the right belong to UN peacekeepers. For a war map of the current situation in Quneitra, see here.
Date 11 November 2012 – ongoing (11 years, 5 months, 1 week and 1 day) Location Ceasefire line areas between Israel-occupied territory and Syrian controlled territory and the demilitarized zone of the Golan Heights. Result Ongoing Increased tensions between the two countries
Belligerents
Israel	Syria
Casualties and losses
7 soldiers wounded	24 Syrian soldiers killed and 7 injured
1 Israeli civilian killed and three injured 8 Syrian civilians killed 2 unidentified militants killed

Several Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents took place during the Syrian Civil War, straining the relations between the countries. The incidents are considered a spillover of the Quneitra Governorate clashes since 2012 between Syrian Army and the rebels, ongoing on the Syrian-controlled side of the Golan. Through the incidents, which began in late 2012, one Israeli civilian was killed and at least 4 soldiers wounded; on the Syrian controlled side, it is estimated that at least ten soldiers were killed, as well as two unidentified militants, who attempted to penetrate into Israeli-occupied side of the Golan Heights.

Timeline

Israel was first involved on 11 November 2012, when mortar shells from Syria landed near an Israeli military outpost in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, responding by firing "warning shots" into Syria. This accounted for the first direct cross-border incidents between the two countries since the Yom Kippur War nearly forty years prior.

On 11 November 2012, a stray mortar shell from fighting in Syria's Quneitra Governorate landed near an Israeli military outpost in the Golan Heights. Israel responded with a "warning shot" and released a statement warning further retaliation if the attacks persist.

On 17 November 2012, there was another incident where Syrian army fire hit an IDF patrol near the DMZ, damaging one jeep although no injuries were reported. Israeli artillery responded by shelling the army position and Syrian army fired back with mortars. Israel confirmed a direct hit on the source of fire and said that Syrian soldiers may have been killed by the incident.

On 25 November 2012, clashes between rebels and the army resulted in stray bullets striking near an IDF vehicle driving along a fence at the Israeli border with the DMZ. No injuries or damages were reported, and Israel did not retaliate.

On 24 March 2013, the IDF fired a guided missile at a Syrian machine gun nest after Israeli troops were shot at twice in the Golan Heights. No Israeli soldiers were hurt in the shooting, during which army vehicles were hit.

There was an exchange of fire between Syria and Israel on 21 May 2013 in the Golan Heights. An Israeli vehicle was hit by Syrian fire with the Israeli's retaliating and destroying the source of the attack.

On 17 July 2013, an Israeli army force on a routine patrol of the ceasefire line with Syria came under fire and shot back at a group of unidentified suspects on the frontier. There were no injuries among IDF soldiers in the incident.

On 17 August 2013, after several Syrian mortar shells exploded in the Golan Heights - the IDF fired a guided missile at a Syrian army post.

On 1 March 2014, two rockets were fired on an Israeli post on Mount Hermon, in what is widely believed to be a retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah target near the Lebanese-Syrian border.

On 18 March 2014, an Israeli jeep traveling on the Golan Heights near the Syrian border came under attack, when an explosive device was detonated in its vicinity. One soldier was seriously wounded. Another three soldiers sustained light-to-moderate injuries. IDF 155 Artillery battery returned fire across the border following the incident and shot several shells on a Syrian outpost. Israel also responded by carrying out multiple airstrikes against Syrian targets, including a military headquarters, artillery batteries and a training base of the Syrian army. The Syrian army reported that the Israeli airstrikes killed one Syrian soldier and wounded seven. this happened after a few days after a similar incident in the Israeli-Lebanese border when another jeep landed on an exlosive cargo and Israel responded with artillery and tanks fire towards Lebanon. Israel blamed Hezbollah for both incidents.

On 28 March 2014, Israeli soldiers opened fire on two gunmen seen attempting to sabotage the border fence with Syria on the Golan Heights. IDF said both armed suspects were struck by the gunfire.

On 2 June 2014, after Syrian shells flew in the direction of Israeli military posts on Mount Hermon, the IDF responded with artillery salvos toward the sources of fire in Syria. There were no injuries or damages on the Israeli side.

On 4 June 2014, two mortar shells were fired from Syria into the Israeli-occupied Golan. The Iron Dome missile defense system was activated for the first time in northern Israel to intercept the two shells. At least two intercepting missiles were fired towards the Syrian ceasefire line, but were "called off" in-flight by the Iron Dome's operators when it was made clear the shells were going to fall in open fields. The falling shells caused fires in several spots in the area, but firefighters were called at the scene and put out the fires.

On 23 June 2014, the Israeli military launched several airstrikes targeting Syrian troops in retaliation for an attack the day before that killed an Israeli teenager from the Arab village of Arraba. At least ten Syrian soldiers were killed during the strikes.

On 7 July 2014, a mortar shell launched from Syria hit the Golan Heights, causing no injuries or damage. IDF responded by firing at suspicious positions on the Syrian side of the border.

On 13 July 2014, a rocket landed in an open area of the Golan Heights. No injuries or damage were reported. The IDF reported that the rocket was deliberately fired from Syria at Israel.

On 15 July 2014, after a rocket hit the Golan Heights, Israeli warplanes struck three targets, killing 18 Syrians, including eight civilians and ten soldiers.

On 24 August 2014, five rockets from Syria landed across the border with Israel in the Golan Heights. The rockets landed in open areas and no injuries were reported.

On 27 August 2014, three errant mortar shells fired from Syria hit the Golan Heights, wounding an Israeli officer and causing damage to a pair of vehicles. The IDF responded with artillery fire against a Syrian army post. An Israeli civilian was lightly injured after a mortar fell in northern Golan.

On 31 August 2014, the IDF shot down a drone that entered Israeli air space from the Quneitra region in Syria. Army sources said the drone likely belonged to the military of the Assad regime, and strayed into Israeli airspace by accident.

On 8 September 2014, an IDF soldier was lightly injured in the Golan by a stray bullet.

On 23 September 2014, Israel shot down an errant Syrian jet fighter that had strayed over its territory.

Reactions

Israel – On 12 November 2012, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "we are closely following the events and will respond accordingly," and that Israel "won't allow its borders to be breached or its citizens to be fired upon."

On 6 January 2013, Netanyahu announced that the Israeli army would be building an improved security fence in the border between the Israeli-occupied and sovereign Syrian zones of the Golan Heights. He stated that the Syrian army had largely "backed off" from the area, leaving it in control of "global jihad operatives" and that the fence would protect Israeli territory from "infiltrations and terror". An Israeli security official stated that around 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) of the fence had already been completed, with approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) remaining.

Syria – On 13 November 2012, the Syrian government, through the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), pledged to halt firing toward Israeli territory.

Syrian opposition – Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported that the Free Syrian Army released a statement accusing Israel of attempting to "aid Assad's criminal regime" by firing into Syria.

See also

• January 2013 Rif Dimashq airstrike
• Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon
• Lebanese–Syrian border clashes
• Syrian–Turkish border incidents during the Syrian Civil War
• Syrian Civil War spillover in Iraq