Israel welcomes U.S. missile strike on Syria

Israeli leaders hailed Friday the U.S. missile attack on a Syrian army air base.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement saying that "in both word and action, President Trump sent a strong and clear message today that the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated."

He added that Israel fully supports the decision to launch the attack, adding that he hopes "this message of resolve in the face of the Assad regime's horrific actions will resonate not only in Damascus, but in Tehran, Pyongyang and elsewhere."

President Reuven Rivlin echoed him, saying that "in the face of the terrible use of chemical weapons against innocent civilians, the clear and determined steps of the U.S. administration ... constitute a fitting and appropriate response to such unthinkable brutality."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Friday it was informed by the United States ahead of the military strike, which saw at least 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from two U.S. naval destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean strike the Shayrat Airfield north of Damascus at approximately 4 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) Friday.

The IDF said in a statement it expressed support for the strike in talks with U.S. officials.

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman called the Tomahawk missile strike "an important, necessary and moral message by the free world, led by the United States."

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog on Friday also hailed the strike, saying it came at the "right time and in the right place."

A string of high-level Israeli officials have condemned Tuesday's chemical attack and urged international action.

The attack on the Syrian airfield shows that the world "will not tolerate the war crimes of the horrific regime of Bashar Assad," Liberman said.

The attack came days after reports of a chemical weapons attack emerged from the battleground in Syria, for which the West said the Syrian government should be blamed. Endit