In February 10, 2018 an Israeli F-16 airplane was shot down by the Syrian Air defense force near the border between Syrian and Israel. Two pilots were injured. Two hours later, the Israeli force attacked Syria. Ever since the Iranian revolution 1979, it had been unusual for Israel to attack Syria. The attack can be considered part of the ongoing Iran-Israel Proxy Conflict in the Middle East. A proxy war is when two countries really mean to fight or compete with each other but instead attack each other's allies. Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he did not want Iranians to have bases and put troops and weapons close to Israel's borders.