SHADY

Israel Assuaged Assad

Told him airstrike was not to “weaken him.”

As Syrian anger over Israel’s airstrike continues to escalate, new details about the attack are shedding light on Israel’s shaky plan. After claiming responsibility for the incident in Damascus, the Israeli government allegedly attempted to calm President Bashar al-Assad by telling him that their intention was not to “weaken him.” Previous statements by Israel suggest the opposite. Speaking to press Saturday, the Israeli government said the attack was aimed at a shipment of weapons headed to Hezbollah—a Shia Islamist militant group and one of Assad’s strongest allies. Officials claim Israel’s actions are an attempt to avoid taking sides in Syria’s bloody two-year civil war, which has already left more than 700,000 dead.