Israel providing medical care to al-Qaida affiliate fighters wounded in Syria

Israel providing medical care to al-Qaida affiliate fighters wounded in Syria

Israel is continuing to provide medical treatment to Jabat al-Nusra fighters wounded in Syria, reported prominent American paper The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

Jabat al-Nusra, which is the al-Qaida affiliate in Syria, is in control of various towns along the Israeli border, but "hasn't bothered Israel" since they took control of areas close to the Israeli border last year.

Retired Brig.Gen Michael Herzog , a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former chief of staff for Israel's defense minister, told the Wall Street Journal that "Nusra is a unique version of al Qaeda. They manage to cooperate with non-Islamist and non-jihadi organizations in one coalition. They are totally focused on the war in Syria and aren't focused on us. But when Hezbollah and Iran and others are pushing south, they are very much focused on us."

Amos Yadlin, the former head of Israel's military intelligence told the Wall Street Journal that "Those Sunni elements who control some two-thirds to 90% of the border on the Golan aren't attacking Israel. This gives you some basis to think that they understand who is their real enemy—maybe it isn't Israel".

According to Israel's health ministry, so far some 1,000 Syrians have been treated in four Israeli hospitals. Many of the wounded are civilians, and some are members of the secular Free Syrian Army rebel group. Doctors say most arrive in serious condition, some even unconscious, dehydrated and with infected wounds. Some lose a lot of blood before reaching medical care in Israel.

http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2015/03/16/israel-providing-medical-care-to-al-qaida-affiliate-fighters-wounded-in-syria/

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