JERUSALEM (JTA) — Jordan opened its airspace to Israeli drones monitoring the situation in Syria, according to a French newspaper.
The French daily Le Figaro reported Sunday that Jordan opened two air corridors for the Israeli drones, allowing them to avoid overflying southern Lebanon. The newspaper cited an unnamed Western military source in the Middle East.
Jordan’s King Abdullah reportedly made the decision to open the air corridors to Israel in late March during a visit from President Obama and following a secret meeting in early March with Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to Le Figaro.
Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees reportedly have poured into Jordan since the start of the country’s civil war.
Syria accused Israel of attacking a military research center in Damascus in January. The same month, Israel also reportedly destroyed a Syrian weapons convoy bound for Hezbollah.
Rocket and mortar fire believed to be related to the Syrian civil war have crossed the border into Israeli territory on the Golan Heights.
Israel reportedly also is concerned about anti-Israel elements within the Syrian opposition gaining traction on the Syrian side of the Golan border and Syrian chemical weapons falling into the hands of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
