Netanyahu: Israeli forces will occupy the buffer zone inside Syria in the foreseeable future

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the Israeli military would remain inside Syrian territory — in what is supposed to be a demilitarized zone — indefinitely, as part of what he described as an attempt to bolster security amid the unrest in Syria.

Netanyahu said on the top of Mount Hermon, which is divided between the Golan Heights occupied by Israel, Lebanon and Syria, that the forces will remain “until another arrangement is reached that guarantees Israel’s security.”

Israel entered the demilitarized buffer zone, east of the Golan Heights, earlier this month after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Its seizure of about 400 square kilometers of Syrian territory has sparked accusations that Israel is violating the 1974 UN-brokered ceasefire agreement that established the region, and that it is exploiting the chaos in its northeastern neighbor to seize territory.

Israel occupied the Golan Heights from Syria and later annexed it in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Only the United States recognizes its claim to the region.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, who appeared with Netanyahu, said he had instructed the army to quickly establish a presence, including fortifications, in anticipation of what could be a long stay in the area.

Katz said the mountaintop, the highest point in the region, would be “the eyes of the State of Israel to identify our near and distant enemies.”

An Israeli military official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations, said there was no plan to evacuate Syrians living there from the area.

This is not the first time that Israel has entered the buffer zone this year.

AP reported last month Examination of satellite images It found that Israel had been working on a construction project, possibly a new road, near Syria since early July, and in some cases had entered the area during construction.

UN forces later warned That the Israeli army committed “serious violations” of the ceasefire agreement with Syria.

Air strikes throughout Syria

Israeli forces began moving into the buffer zone on December 7, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar; On the same day, unidentified gunmen attacked UN forces in Syria.

“(The Israeli army) took targeted and temporary control of certain areas near the border to prevent an October 7 scenario from Syria,” Saar said at the time, referring to Hamas’ surprise 2023 attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army said that this was followed by a wave of air strikes inside Syria that hit more than 350 targets, including anti-aircraft batteries, military airfields, weapons production sites, fighter planes and missiles.

Israeli missiles also hit Syrian ports where 15 naval ships were docked.

Israeli officials said the strikes across Syria were aimed at destroying strategic weapons and military infrastructure to prevent their use by the rebel groups that ousted Assad from power, some of which emerged from movements linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Netanyahu had previously described entering the buffer zone as a “necessary and temporary defensive position.”

Regional condemnation

A UN spokesman said on Tuesday that the advance of Israeli forces, no matter how long it lasts, violates the agreement that established the buffer zone.

Stephane Dujarric said that this agreement “must be respected, and occupation is occupation. Whether it lasts a week, a month, or a year, it remains an occupation.”

There was no immediate comment from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the overthrow of Assad, or from Arab countries.

Previously, Ahmed al-Sharaa – Syria’s de facto leader and head of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham – said Israel was using false pretexts to justify its attacks, but made clear he was not interested in getting involved in new conflicts as the country focused on rebuilding.

Others in the region condemned the Israeli move into Syrian territory earlier this month. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry accused Israel of “exploiting the power vacuum… to occupy more Syrian territory and create a fait accompli in violation of international law.”

Saudi Arabia separately criticized Israel “for its determination to undermine the opportunities available to Syria to restore its security, stability and territorial integrity.”