Following US Secretary of State John Kerry’s comments that it was “undeniable” that the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad used chemical weapons last week that killed hundreds of civilians and that the US would respond, most countries in the region expect a US attack in the next few days. Syria accused Kerry of lying saying in a statement on the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency that Kerry “fabricated evidence.” Syria’s ally Iran warned against foreign intervention in Syria, saying it would spark a war across the entire region.
Israeli analysts say that if Assad believes his regime is in danger, he could attack Israel to divert international attention. Israel has beefed up its forces along the border with Syria, but has not raised its level of alert. There have been several instances of Syrian mortar fire across the border over the past few months but Israeli officials believe it was stray fire and not intended for an attack on Israel.