The assessment of defense officials is that Israel has been left on its own when it comes to the Iranian presence in Syria, and there is concern that the Russian, Iranian and Syrian response to Saturday’s attack will primarily result in a change in the Israeli army’s freedom of action in the region.

Even before the strike, the expectation among Israeli army officials was that an American strike on Syria would not prompt military retaliation against Israel. The major concern has been that the Russian and Iranian response would be a change in their military approach in the region, making it more difficult for Israel to operate relatively freely in the airspace over Lebanon and Syria. This would occur if Russia decides to provide Syria with advanced missiles in response to the attack by Western powers, or permit the deployment of advanced anti-aircraft that would even threaten Israel Air Force planes flying over Lebanon.

The Israeli army was aware of plans for the attack before it was carried out and the military was on alert in the north but refrained from issuing civil defense instructions to the public. The army has tried to strike a balance between preparedness in the event of a deterioration of the situation and conveying a sense of ordinary routine to the public.

Army officials make a distinction between the attack by the Western countries, which was thought unlikely to prompt a response against Israel, and an earlier attack on the T-4 base in Syria that killed senior Iranian air force personnel who were involved in an Iranian drone project in Syria, and which reports have attributed to Israel.

In this instance, the Israel Defense Forces is still on high alert on the Lebanese and Syrian borders as a result of concern over an Iranian response through Hezbollah or militias in Syria.

This article was originally published by "Haaretz" -