Putin and Netanyahu
Putin and NetanyahuFlash 90

Russia on Wednesday said Israel should cease its airstrikes in Syria, calling the strikes “arbitrary,” Reuters reported.

Speaking to the Russian Tass news agency, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that “The practice of arbitrary strikes on the territory of a sovereign state - in this case, we are talking about Syria - should be ruled out.”

“We should never allow Syria, which has suffered years of armed conflict, to be turned into an arena where geopolitical scores are settled,” she added.

Israel on Monday hit military targets in Syria in response to the launching of a surface-to-surface missile on Sunday by Iranian forces operating in Syria.

The targets hit by Israel included Syrian-operated air defense systems and Iranian munitions depots, an intelligence site, and an Iranian-operated military training camp.

“We are acting against Iran and against the Syrian forces that abet the Iranian aggression,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said Monday, emphasizing, “Whoever tries to hurt us – we hurt them. Whoever threatens to destroy us will bear the full responsibility."

At least 21 were reportedly killed in the Israeli strikes, including 12 Iranian soldiers.