Machine Guns, assault rifles, mortar launchers and transport vehicles were among the few delivered to Syrian rebel groups by Israel apart from discreetly funding these groups a Foreign Policy magazine reported on Thursday.
According to the reports, Israel discreetly funded and armed at least 12 rebel groups in southern Syria in order to keep the Islamic State militias away from Israel’s border, Haaretz.com reported.
These revelations have come up after more than two dozen rebel groups were interviewed.
Foreign Policy’s Elizabeth Tsurkov said the interviewed rebels reported that Israel’s support was continuing over the past few years and had only ended last month.
The arms were delivered through the three border crossing gates that connect the Golan Heights and Syria, were Isreal had transferred humanitarian aid to Syria.
Reports said Israel paid 75 dollars each rebel every month in addition to transactions for purchasing arms from illegal Syrian markets.
These rebel groups had expected that Israel would come to their help when Bashar Assad’s security forces retook south Syria in July but no help came from Israel.
One of the interviewed fighters said: “This is a lesson we will not forget about Israel. It does not care about … the people. It does not care about humanity. All it cares about it its own interests.”