Israeli forces struck a car in a Syrian-controlled area of the Golan Heights on Friday, killing five civilians, Syrian state media reported.
The Israeli military said its forces targeted the area, describing it forces there as “part of the terror cell responsible for the rocket fire at northern Israel on Thursday.” It did not say how many people were killed in the attack in in al Qom in Quneitra.
This was the second day of Israeli strikes.
“Earlier this week, I said that whoever tries to fire at us, we will hit them back, and so we did,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
“The Israel Defense Forces targeted the cell that fired, and the Syrian forces that allowed it. We have no intention to escalate the situation, but our policy still stands.”
After two rockets landed in Israel and two hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the military responded with airstrikes and artillery at Syrian targets, Israel said late Thursday.
The Israel Defense Forces targeted 14 Syrian military posts in an area in the Golan Heights under Syrian control, the military said in a statement.
“Iran sponsored these attacks. These were clear and intentional acts of aggression, directly violating Israelis sovereignty,” the statement said. “The IDF holds the Syrian government responsible for all attacks emanating from Syrian territory.”
Earlier, Israel said no one was injured in the rocket attacks, which targeted northern Israel.
The Golan is regarded internationally as occupied territory despite Israeli annexation. But it is home to 41,000 residents, including Jews, Druze and Alawites. Israel seized the territory from Syria during the 1967 Israel-Arab war, and it was eventually annexed.
