BICOM

The NRG website, affiliated to Israeli daily Maariv, reports this morning that Israel is facilitating hundreds of packages of humanitarian aid to Syria on a daily basis.

Israeli-American businessman Moti Kahane coordinates the effort through a humanitarian NGO which he established called Amalia. He said that the packages are delivered to Syria in coordination with the IDF, but refused to elaborate on the exact system in place. However, he emphasised that the area adjacent to Israel’s border is largely controlled by the Western-backed Free Syrian Army.

Kahane explained that the packages include Israeli-made products, saying that “five years ago, Israeli products could pose a problem in Syria”, but that it was “no longer an issue”. He also suggested that Israel’s interest “is to have a quiet border with Syria, and good neighbours”, and that such aid helped achieve these goals.

Looking to the future, Kahane said that he hopes the aid being delivered from Israel will help Syrian communities live more independently and encourage the establishment of a “protected area” across Israel’s border, in which these communities can govern their affairs. Eventually, he speculated, it may become a region to which Syrian refugees can return.

Since the Syrian Civil War erupted, Israel has treated thousands of wounded Syrians who have arrived at the country’s border, setting up an IDF field hospital in the area. Those who are seriously injured are transported to Israeli hospitals for treatment.

Israel has remained largely on the sidelines during the five-year conflict, although mortar and gunfire from the fighting has infrequently landed on Israeli territory. More often than not the Israeli military has determined errant Syrian fire to be unintentional. However, in cases where Hezbollah and other affiliated groups have attempted to launch terror attacks across the Israeli border or transfer advanced weapons to Lebanon, Israel’s air force has been deployed and carried out strikes.