A new video, released by Vice News last Wednesday, depicts IDF soldiers offering medical treatment to Syrian rebels. The identities of the injured are not known, and they could well be affiliated with groups hostile to Israel.
Once Israel’s calmest border, with civil war raging in Syria, the northern Golan Heights region is becoming very dangerous. Under cover of night, IDF soldiers collect the injured men and transport them to Israeli medical care.
Although the practice has been going on quietly for some time, Vice reporter Simon Ostrovsky notes this is the first time journalists have been invited to tag along.
According to reports, the United Nations Security Council has been monitoring contact between Israel and Syrian rebels for the past year and a half. A report from May 2014 notes, “During periods of heavy engagement with Syrian forces, [rebel groups] transferred 89 wounded persons across the ceasefire line to the IDF,” and “the IDF handed 19 treated and two deceased individuals” back to the insurgents.
Israel set up a field hospital adjacent to the Golan region demilitarized zone several years ago, treating Syrians on the spot where possible, and transferring more serious cases to medical facilities within Israel. In every case, the patients have been returned to Syria after treatment.
Its practice has been not to identify whether those treated are regime forces, rebels or civilians. Since last year, more than 700 Syrians have been treated by Israel.
