JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the strike on a military site in Syria is "proof that when we say something, we mean it."
Barak on Sunday stopped short of confirming that Israel was responsible for last week’s attack, however, according to reports.
"I cannot add anything to what you have read in the newspapers about what happened in Syria several days ago," Barak said during an appearance at the Munich Security Conference.
Meanwhile, Time magazine reported over the weekend that Israel attacked at least three sites within Syria, including a biological weapons research center. The magazine cited unnamed Western intelligence officials as providing the information.
The United States reportedly gave Israeli the go-ahead to attack the weapons sites, the magazine reported.
Israeli military chief Benny Gantz and his U.S. counterpart, Martin Dempsey, were expected to talk about Syria in Washington during Gantz’s five-day visit to the United States, notably possible responses should Syrian chemical weapons fall into the hands of the country’s Islamist rebels or the terrorist organization Hezbollah.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the military chiefs will hold a series of work meetings, as well as meetings with other American officials. They are scheduled to discuss security challenges, the regional security status in the Middle East and military cooperation.
