Lieberman: Israel will not take in any Syrian refugees

JERUSALEM

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Tuesday said that his country would not allow any Syrian refugees to enter its territory.

“We are not willing to accept any Syrian refugees in our territory,” Liberman said while touring the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

“We see the refugees’ tents on the other side of the border,” he added, going on to stress Israel’s willingness to provide refugees with humanitarian assistance.

Last week, the Israeli army announced it had sent humanitarian aid to displaced Syrians gathered near Israel’s northern border following a series of airstrikes carried out by the Assad regime and its allies on cities and towns in Syria’s southern Daraa province.

According to an army statement, over 300 tents were sent, along with 13 tons of food, 15 tons of baby food, three pallets of medical equipment and medicine, and 30 tons of clothing and footwear.

Since June 20, the Syrian regime has waged a wide-ranging military operation -- supported by Russian air power -- aimed at reestablishing control over the country's border with Jordan.

The fighting has led to a major displacement crisis, with an estimated 350,000 civilians fleeing Daraa in recent weeks towards areas near the Jordanian border.

Following peace talks held last year in Kazakh capital Astana, Daraa was designated a “de-escalation zone” in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.