Operation Good Neighbor (Hebrew:שכנות טובה,Shkhenut Tova, lit. "Good neighborliness") was a directive of theNorthern Command'sDivision 210 ofIsrael Defence Forces (IDF) launched in June 2016 to provide humanitarian assistance to Syrian citizens who were affected by theSyrian Civil War. The army kept the operation confidential until announcing it in July 2017.
Thousands of Syrians received medical treatment as part of the initiative, both in Israel and in Syrian territory, and a significant amount of supplies were delivered, including over a million liters of fuel.
In September 2018, the IDF announced the closure of the operation after theAssad government regained control over the entire southern region of Syria.
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According to the IDF, over 4,000 Syrians were brought to Israel to receive treatment, including hundreds of children.[1][2]
After the outbreak of theSyrian civil war in 2011, Syrians crossed theIsrael-Syria border and quietly received care atIsraeli health care facilities and at temporary field hospitals along the border territory in theGolan Heights. The care included a range oftrauma care, from primary closure toplastic andreconstructive surgery to reconstructive procedures for burns. Between January 2013 and December 2017, at least 963 patients received treatment at theGalilee Medical Center, which became the main location for multidisciplined medical treatment.[3][4]
Medical aid enabled the crossing of hundreds of children through the border for one-day treatment, assistance in the establishment of two medical centers, the transfer of medication surfaces and items of advancedmedical equipment, and the establishment of afield clinic for routine medical treatment. A clinic called CampIchay was established by American humanitarian organization Friendships.[citation needed]
In 2017, amaternity hospital was opened in the Syrian village ofBariqa, without any equipment. Following its outreach to Israel, incubators,anesthesia machines andultrasound devices were sent. The aid was partially funded from humanitarian organizations and partly from the state budget.[5]
In August 2017, theMazor Ladach (meaning "Bandaging Those In Need" in Hebrew) field clinic was established in an abandoned military outpost located in Israeli-occupied southern Golan Heights, close to the border with Syria. The clinic worked in partnership with Frontier Alliance International of the united states. During its approximately one year in operation, it provided medical care to around 6,800 Syrians before its closure in August 2018.[6]
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Around 400 families lived in tent camps near the border and the rest had lived in villages or in open fields. About a third of the residents weredisplaced persons orrefugees, half of whom wereminors.[7] The patients brought to Israel for treatment were mostly treated in hospitals in northern Israel, including at theGalilee Medical Center inNahariya.[8][9] and theRebecca Sieff Hospital inSafed.[10][11]The army also providedinsulin for about 100 people.[12]
In 2017, Israel began admitting women and children for day treatments in Israeli hospitals and allowed injured rebel fighters to enter Israel for treatment. In comparison, Jordan's policy disallowed their entry due to concerns about rebel offensives. Israeli facilitated the entry of non-Israeli volunteer medical professionals to Syria under the protection of an allied Syrian rebel group and facilitated by American NGO Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees.[13]
The directive was established in June 2016, and its first activity occurred in August of the same year.[14] The army kept the operation confidential until announcing it in July 2017. During this period, from June 2016 to July 2017, the initiative conducted over 110 different aid operations.[15]
The IDF relied on local contacts and operated in numerous villages near the border, primarily in theQuneitra district. As of July 2017, the primary recipients of the aid were the approximately 200,000 residents of theHauran region.[7]
According to the IDF, aid to Syrian civilians was motivated by both conscience and security interests. The IDF did not want to stand by in the face of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and aid could create a less hostile environment across the border.[1]
Brig. Gen. Yaniv Asor of the IDF did not perceive the aid operations as hindering their mandate to guard theGolan Heights border. He considered them a significant aspect of his defense approach with operational impact. According to Asor's explanation, the civilian aid created better neighborly relations, which helped prevent terrorist activity. It was also expected to aid in restraining and repelling hostile elements along the border.[12]
Aid from Israel was originally provided via theUnited Nations and other agencies. In 2016, it began appearing with Hebrew packaging. Israeli increased the flow of humanitarian aid into southern Syria, including Daraa and Quneitra in early 2018. Aid included construction materials and hospital and school supplies.[13]
Under the initiative of Operation Good Neighbor, a significant amount of humanitarian aid was delivered, including medical supplies, food, fuel, and clothing.[6] According to the IDF, as part of the operation, 450,000 liters of fuel for heating, operating water wells, and bakeries' ovens were transferred to Syria. It also claims to have supplied sevengenerators, water pipes for Syrian infrastructure reconstruction, and equipment for a temporary school in the region.[1]
Brig. Gen. Yaniv Asor of the IDF stated that the army was not providing funding inside Syria, but his statement contradicted a report fromThe Wall Street Journal, which mentions a local rebel leader claiming that Israel had secretly offered and provided cash, food, fuel, medical supplies,[12] and even monthly stipends to Syrian rebels.[16] The report highlighted that Israel's support to the groups was relatively small compared to aid supplied byQatar,Saudi Arabia,Turkey, and theUnited States.[17]
According to foreign reports, the objective behind Israel providing weapons and financial support to rebel groups in Operation Good Neighbor was to deter troops affiliated withHezbollah andIran from approaching Israel's border.[16]
On 19 July 2017, Israeli publicly unveiled the scope of its aid activities during the war. According to Israel, it had delivered more than 360 tons of food, 90 tons of clothes, and items such as generators.[14][13]
On September 13, 2018, the IDF announced the closure of Operation Good Neighbor following the return of the Assad government to power in the entirety of southern Syria and along thede facto border with Israel, including in the Syrian-administered part of the Golan Heights.[10]
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