The United States reportedly notified Israel strikes on Syria 12-24 hours earlier

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech on April 11, 2018 at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem al-Quds. (Photo by AFP)

The United States reportedly notified Israel of missile strikes against Syria in advance.

Between 12 and 24 hours before the strikes on Friday, the US, the UK and France on Friday, Tel Aviv received the message, an Israeli source told Reuters on Saturday.

The announcement was later confirmed by a US embassy spokesperson.

In the early hours of Saturday, the US, Britain and France launched a barrage of missile attacks against Syria in response to what they claim to have been a chemical attack by the Syrian government in the town of Douma in the suburb of Damascus on April 7.

Syria rejected the accusations as “chemical fabrications” made by the foreign-backed terrorists in the country in a bid to halt advances by pro-government forces.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised the strikes carried out in a stated effort to destroy three chemical weapons facilities in Syria.

“Early this morning, under American leadership, the United States, France and the United Kingdom demonstrated that their commitment is not limited to proclamations of principle,” he said in a written statement.

'Successful op'

Pentagon chief spokeswoman Dana W. White (L) and Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. (R) leave after a news briefing at the Pentagon April 14, 2018 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by AFP)

Syrian air defenses responded firmly to the Western powers’ attacks, shooting down most of the missiles fired at the country.

The Pentagon, however, has claimed that the airstrikes "successfully hit every target."

“Last night’s operations were successful. We met all of our objectives, we hit all of our targets successfully. No allied aircrafts were engaged. It was a successful mission,” US Defense Department chief spokeswoman Dana White told reporters at the Pentagon. “The strikes went to the very heart of the enterprise, to research to the development, to storage. So we are very confident that we have significantly crippled Assad’s ability to produce these weapons.”

More than 100 missiles were said to have been launched in the so-called “retaliation.”