Israel says it dropped 5,500 bombs on Arab states in just five years

Israeli warplanes conducted hundreds of missions in the region, dropping thousands of munitions on Arab states over the past five years, new data shows. 

Israeli Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Amikam Norkin has laid bare the brutal air campaign that has been waged by Israel, with almost complete impunity, via the data drop. 

Since 2017, Israeli planes hit some 1,200 targets, dropping from the sky over 5,500 munitions, during 408 missions, including the brutal 2021 bombing of Gaza which left more than 250 Palestinians dead. 

It has also decimated civilian infrastructure in the besieged landstrip during the bombing putting Gaza at risk of starvation and disease.

The vast majority of the Israeli strikes have been in Syria, where Israel is trying to prevent Iran from gaining a foothold in the south. 

While Israel insists that it is targeting military features, and preventing smuggling, civilians a frequently caught up in the airstrikes. 

Earlier in March, it was reported that two civilians were killed when Israeli jets hit targets near Damascus. 

Israel describes its activities in Syria as a "war-between-war" campaign. 

The Syrian regime is in possession of old Russian-made anti-aircraft defences, which are unable to defend against the high-tech Israeli jets. 

There are also reports that Russian officers tell Syrian operators of more advanced air defences to stand down during Israeli strikes. Syrian regime air defences accidentally shot down a Russian aircraft during Israeli air raids in 2018.

Israeli aircraft were also used to devastating effect during the Israeli assault on Gaza in May 2021. 

During the assault, 260 people in Gaza, at least 129 of them civilians, including 66 children were killed, according to the United Nations.

Local authorities reported that 2,400 housing units were made uninhabitable, while over 50,000 units were damaged, and over 2,000 industrial, trade, and service facilities were destroyed or partially damaged.