Israel treating al-Qaida fighters wounded in Syria civil war
Israel has permitted wounded fighters from the Nusra Front and al-Qaida in Syria to seek medical treatment within its borders, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The Nusra Front, an al-Qaida offshoot engaged in combat against the Iranian-backed forces of Bashar Assad and Hezbollah, has refrained from engaging Israel since taking control of the border area near the Golan Heights last year.
The relationship between Israel and these Sunni Islamist groups has caused tension with the United States, which also targets fighters from both organizations in Syria.
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While Israel views these groups as adversaries, its primary concern is the threat posed by Iran and its proxies, particularly Hezbollah.
Former military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin, who may become defense minister if the Zionist Union wins the upcoming elections, emphasised that Iran and Hezbollah present a more significant threat to Israel than the Sunni Islamists controlling the Golan border area.
However, there have been accusations from supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad that Israel backs the Sunni Islamist alliance in Syria, sparking suspicions and accusations.
Israeli officials have consistently denied actively assisting al-Qaida, although they have made it clear that they are determined to prevent Hezbollah from establishing a presence near the Golan Heights to avoid potential threats in the Northern region.
This concern was evident when an airstrike, attributed to Israel, targeted and killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah operatives near the Syrian border earlier this year.
In response, Hezbollah conducted a missile attack near the Lebanon-Israel border, resulting in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers.
Since the start of the Syrian civil war, Israel has provided medical aid to nearly 2,000 Syrians, with most of the treated individuals being armed rebels fighting against the regime.
An Israeli military official, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, affirmed that no screening is conducted on the individuals seeking treatment, and once the medical care is provided, they are escorted back to the border to continue their journey.
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