![\"Israeli](\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Israeli-F16.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIsrael’s recent airstrike against Syria, which involved the usage of civilian flights as cover for the operation, shows that the Israelis are changing their tactics against Damascus, Peter Ford, the former UK ambassador to Syria, told Sputnik.<\/span><\/p>\n Israel’s new tactics were detailed in\u00a0a Wednesday statement by\u00a0the Russian Defense Ministry<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, which indicated that six Israeli F-16 fighter jets used two commercial aircraft as\u00a0cover that were preparing to\u00a0land in\u00a0Damascus and Beirut, respectively.<\/span><\/p>\n Photos since\u00a0released by\u00a0the Israeli company ImageSat map out\u00a0a 900-square-meter area where strikes reportedly destroyed an arms depot that was housing Iranian weapons<\/a><\/strong><\/span>. Wednesday’s airstrike came after\u00a0Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to\u00a0continue military operations in\u00a0Syria to\u00a0counter Iran’s military presence.<\/span><\/p>\n “Because, thanks to\u00a0the Russians, the Syrian Army now has improved anti-aircraft defenses, therefore the Israelis are using new tactics, and it appears one of\u00a0these is to\u00a0hide behind\u00a0other aircraft.”<\/span><\/p>\n As Ford notes, this wasn’t the first time that Israel has used such measures to\u00a0initiate its strikes on\u00a0neighboring Syria. Earlier this year, in\u00a0September, Israel was accused by Russia’s Ministry of\u00a0Defense of\u00a0using one of\u00a0its aircraft as\u00a0a shield against\u00a0Syrian anti-aircraft systems<\/a><\/strong><\/span>. However, unlike\u00a0the Wednesday strike, the September airstrike on\u00a0Syria turned fatal as\u00a0a Russian recon aircraft carrying 15 servicemembers was destroyed by\u00a0Syrian anti-air fire aimed at\u00a0the Israeli jets.<\/span><\/p>\n Considering both operations, Ford told hosts Brian Becker and John Kiriakou that new rules of\u00a0engagement were coming into\u00a0play for\u00a0Russia as\u00a0a consequence of\u00a0Israel’s misstep. “They have effectively taken their Syrian partners off\u00a0the leash and are saying to\u00a0the Israelis that the \u2018Syrians, if they can manage it, will take down\u00a0your aircrafts. Don’t look to\u00a0us for\u00a0any kind of\u00a0protections,'” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Looking ahead, and taking into\u00a0consideration the United Arab Emirates’ announcement that it would be reopening its embassy in\u00a0Syria<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, Ford suggested that the move would pave the way to\u00a0normalizing ties between\u00a0Syria and the UAE’s close ally, Saudi Arabia, which has supported anti-government forces in\u00a0Syria’s 7-year-long civil war.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>“It shows a new modus operandi that the Israelis are no longer [as] fearless as\u00a0they were of\u00a0their planes being brought down,” Ford told Sputnik Radio’s Loud and Clear on\u00a0Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n