In their first editions since the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday, Israeli newspapers warn that the air strike against a target inside Syria may only contribute to instability in the Middle East.

Condemnation of the Israeli raid continues to dominate editorial and comment pages in the Arab press. Several papers criticise Washington for its response to the attack.

The bombing of Islamic Jihad's empty training camp north of Damascus is a harmful joke by a government at its wits' end... True, Syria is a terrorist state. But why now? It is not linked to the murderous terrorist attack in Haifa, but even if it were it is not the right target. A hapless government is being drawn into deep bombing raids to halt terror that offer no solution to the terror problem but only intensify it.

Commentary in Israel's Ma'ariv

In the wake of the Israeli operation [in Syria], the Syrian president could, contrary to Israeli expectations, cause an additional escalation - either directly, or through agents and the likes of Hezbollah.

Israel's Ha'aretz

Faced with a strong Israeli and American military presence, [Syrian President] Asad is likely to show restraint, but he might expand the leeway given to Hezbollah and other militants for attacks on the Galilee.

Commentary in Israel's Ha'aretz

With worrying frequency, the government takes decisions that achieve the opposite of the declared objectives... The latest decision to bomb an empty terrorist training camp near Damascus cancelled out the international echo of the terrorist attack in Haifa, placed Israel in the dock and won the terror-supporting Syrian regime international backing.

Israel's Yediot Aharonot

The bombing of the terrorist training camp in Syria was a reasonable, legitimate response... It is not terrible for the Syrians to know that in Jerusalem sits a nervous government ready to violate a 30-year convention to pass on a message... The question is, what will happen if Syria does not take the hint?

Commentary in Israel's Yediot Aharonot

In its insolent aggression against Syria, Israel has proved two things: First, it is an aggressive state which has excelled in terrorism... Secondly, this state, in its current nature of racial aggression and expansionism, will never achieve peace in its thinking, behaviour and policies unless there is a complete change in the expansionist aggressive ideology which controls its thinking.

Commentary in Syria's Al-Thawrah

Once again Syria is proving to the whole world that it is keen on observing the principles of international law and the UN Charter by resorting to the Security Council in facing this dangerous development. It believes that this is the appropriate channel for responding and preventing a repeat of such an Israeli aggression, which threatens security and peace in the region.

Syria's Tishrin

The US stopped short of condemning the recent Israeli raids on the outskirts of Damascus and merely called on the Syrian and Israeli sides to exercise self-control. It indirectly, and through more than one official, held Syria responsible for the raid.

Commentary in Lebanon's Al-Nahar

Even the US, which turned a blind eye to the Israeli aggression against Syria, considering it part of its war against terrorism, indirectly showed that it would not tolerate new eruptions in the region, particularly if they are close to its positions and deployments of its forces in Iraq.

Commentary in Lebanon's Al-Safir

After the whole world had condemned the Israeli attacks on Syria, Washington saw the importance of going back to its Damascus file, saying that Syria had not implemented what was required of it regarding the Palestinian factions on its territory. By doing this, Washington justified the bombardment.

Saudi Al-Jazirah

We might not be exaggerating if we say that Israel's action against Syria was done with a green light from the Americans, who in the past did not tell [Israeli Prime Minister] Sharon to stop his terrorist acts inside Palestine while the Palestinian factions were complying with Palestinian Authority orders to halt operations inside Israel.

Yemen's Al-Jumhuriyah

We fear the US administration's justification of the blatant Israeli aggression against Syrian territory may lead to a fresh escalation by the Sharon government.

Egypt's Al-Jumhuriyah

The unprecedented strikes by Israel deep inside Syria have made it, with extra help from Washington, succeed in expanding the circle of danger.

Jordan's Al-Ra'y

The US is blessing Sharon's actions which are meant to combat terrorism with the aim of achieving Israel's interests, even if that is at the expense of US interests and its relations with the countries of the region.

UAE's Al-Ittihad

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.