IDF Provides Humanitarian Aid To Syrian Refugees Fleeing Assad Bombing Campaign

IDF troops transferred humanitarian aid to refugees fleeing fighting in southern Syria overnight, but warned that it would not allow them into Israel.

In a statement Friday morning, the IDF said it had transferred 300 tents, 13 tons of food, 15 tons of baby formula , medical equipment and 30 tons of clothing in an operation that lasted several hours and took place at four different locations along the Golan Heights border.

The IDF said several thousand Syrian refugees in the southern and central Syrian Golan were living in refugee camps close to the border without access to electricity, water, food or basic supplies.

The statement added that there had been a marked increase in the number of refugees arriving at the camps over the past few days. Thousands of people are reported to have fled the Daraa region as regime and Russian forces carry out airstrikes in a bid to recapture the rebel-held province, which is also close to the Jordanian border. According to the United Nations, some 45,000 people have been displaced by the fighting.

“The IDF is monitoring the situation in southern Syria and is prepared for several scenarios including the continued provision of aid to the refugees. The IDF will not allow Syrian refugees to cross into Israel and will continue to protect Israel’s security interests,” the statement read.