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Syria Emboldened By US-Russia Ceasefire Deal

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- Syria's leadership feels it has been strengthened by the backing of Russia as well as the U.S.-Russia ceasefire deal and therefore attempted to shoot down Israeli aircraft earlier this week, an expert said on Thursday.

Israel Air Force planes targeted Syrian army outposts on Tuesday after a number of mortars from the Syrian civil war landed on the Israeli Golan Heights.

Mortars from the civil war have been crashing into Israel for several years – that's not new.  What is new is the Syrian response.

It is "significant" that Syria launched anti-aircraft missiles at an Israeli fighter plane and drone this week, Middle East analyst Jonathan Spyer told CBN News.

Israel has attacked Syrian targets a number of times in response to mortar fire and made it clear in statements that no matter who launched them, Israel would hold the Syrian regime responsible.

This was the first time Syrian troops tried to shoot down Israeli aircraft and then officially claimed they had succeeded. The Israel Defense Forces denied its aircraft were ever in danger.

According to Spyer, there are likely two reasons Syria felt "more confident" and able to strike at Israel: Russian backing for the Syrian regime, and the U.S.-Russia ceasefire deal.

"The regime feels significantly safer and stronger," Spyer said.

The U.S.-Russian brokered Syrian ceasefire deal took effect on Monday evening and was extended mid-week. While Spyer said the danger of an all-out Israeli-Syrian confrontation is greater now, it's not inevitable.

Meanwhile in the south, the Israel Air Force targeted three Hamas posts in the northern Gaza Strip overnight after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck an open area in southern Israel. There were no injuries.

The IDF said in a statement it holds Hamas "responsible and accountable for all attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip."

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