US confirms Israeli air strike on Syria美軍證實以色列空襲敘利亞

The target of the strike last Thursday remained unclear but Israeli media reported that a shipment of Iranian arms crossing Syria for use by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon was attacked.目標的罷工行動上週四仍不清楚，但以色列媒體報導稱，一船伊朗武器過境敘利亞使用的是由伊朗支持的真主黨民兵在黎巴嫩的襲擊。

	Israeli army Merkeva tanks on the Golan Heights以色列軍隊merkeva把坦克開上了戈蘭高地

Syria first reported the incident on the day, saying its air defences had engaged five Israeli planes, but did not say what their target was.敘利亞首次報導這事件對日說，它的防空部隊進行了5名以色列飛機，但並沒有說什麼，他們的目標是。 Israel remained uncharacteristically silent, pointedly refusing to deny that its warplanes were involved in an operation.但以色列依然一反常態的沉默，有針對性地拒絕否認其戰機當時正參與一項行動。 The closest it came to acknowledging the affair happened was when it made an undertaking to Turkey to investigate how an Israeli long-range fuel tank was dropped on Turkish territory near the Syrian border.最接近它來確認此事，當時的情況時，作出承諾，向土耳其調查如何以色列長程油箱投在土耳其境內靠近敘利亞邊界。

Another theory gaining ground yesterday was that Israel was deliberately attacking the Russian-made Pantsyr air defence system recently bought by Damascus.另一種理論抬頭昨天說，以色列是蓄意攻擊俄羅斯製造的pantsyr防空系統最近收購了由大馬士革。 The sale includes provision for the Pantsyr system to be shipped on to Iran and it is possible the Israeli attack was co-ordinated with America to probe the effectiveness of the system.出售包括為pantsyr系統被運到伊朗，並有可能在以色列攻擊是統籌與美利堅合眾國探針系統的效用。 It is believed that Iran would use the Pantsyr system to defend its nuclear facilities.據認為，伊朗將利用pantsyr制度，以維護其核設施。

Syria has sought to keep the incident in the public arena, saying yesterday that it had complained formally to the United Nations, accusing Israel of unjustified aggression.敘利亞試圖使這一事件，在公眾場合，說昨天說，它曾抱怨正式向聯合國，指責以色列的無理侵略。

Syria and Israel have fought major wars on three occasions, in 1948, 1967 and 1973, as well as numerous other skirmishes.敘利亞和以色列已經打大仗打不起來3次，在1948年， 1967年和1973年，以及其他眾多的小規模戰鬥。 The two nations remain formally at war although an uneasy calm has largely held for the past three decades.這兩個國家維持正式在戰爭雖然是一個令人不安的平靜已大致舉行，為過去30年來的。 Meanwhile, Israel was contemplating a retaliatory strike on Gaza last night after a Palestinian qassam rocket injured 69 of its soldiers, five seriously, at the Zikim army base.與此同時，以色列正在考慮採取報復襲擊加沙昨晚後，一名巴勒斯坦卡薩姆火箭， 69人受傷的士兵，五名嚴重的是，在zikim陸軍基地。 Many of the Israelis were hit by shrapnel as they slept under canvas.許多以色列人被砲彈碎片擊中，因為他們睡在帆布。

While the rocket was fired by members of the Islamic Jihad party, Israel said it would hold Hamas accountable because the group is the main authority in the Gaza strip since it drove out its Fatah rivals in June.而火箭發射的成員，伊斯蘭聖戰者組織黨，以色列迫於美國壓力表示將舉行哈馬斯責任，因為該集團是主要權力機構在加沙地帶，因為它趕走，其對手法塔赫在6月。

The Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, convened an emergency meeting yesterday with military and security commanders to discuss a response to the attack.以色列總理埃胡德奧爾默特，召開了一次緊急會議，昨天與軍方和安全部隊指揮官，討論應對這次襲擊。