Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israeli forces will remain in a buffer zone within the newly seized Syrian territory until an arrangement with Damascus is established “that ensures Israel’s security.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an assessment today, on the summit of Mt. Hermon, together with Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, Head of Northern Command Ori Gordin and ISA Director Ronen Bar.
Full remarks >>https://t.co/NRjHIULl6y pic.twitter.com/EU3ltNl4yK
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 17, 2024
Accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, and other top military officials, Netanyahu toured the strategic mountain peak in Syria, just north of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel deployed troops to seize control of the area amid chaos following the collapse of Assad’s government earlier this month.
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”I am here on the summit of Mount Hermon with senior commanders to assess the situation and determine the best arrangement that ensures our security,” Netanyahu stated in a video address shared across all his social media accounts in multiple languages.
Standing at the highest peak in the area, the Israeli leader reflected on his past, saying, “I was here 53 years ago as a soldier. The place hasn’t changed, but its importance to our security has grown significantly.”
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Katz emphasized Mount Hermon’s strategic significance, noting it provides crucial surveillance capabilities for monitoring Hezbollah activities in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.
The Golan Heights, previously part of Syria’s Quneitra Province, were seized by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and unilaterally annexed in 1981. West Jerusalem’s claim to the region is rejected by the international community, except for the US, which officially recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019 under President Donald Trump.
The United Nations and several Arab states have condemned Israel’s latest incursion deeper into Syrian territory, with a UN spokesman stating that occupation remains occupation, regardless of its duration.
Russia has also expressed concern over Israel’s actions. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov warned on Monday against “hotheads” in West Jerusalem being “intoxicated by opportunities” presented by the crisis in Syria. He stressed that the annexation of the Golan Heights is “absolutely unacceptable” and called on Israel to fully implement the 1974 disengagement agreement.
The fall of Assad’s government has created a power vacuum in Syria, with the insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) gaining control. HTS leaders have criticized Israel’s expanded military presence but stated they are not seeking conflict with West Jerusalem.
Israel “isn’t intervening in what is happening in Syria” and has “no intention of administering Syria,” IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi previously said. However, he insisted that after the Syrian Army collapsed, Israel had to ensure that “extreme terror elements won’t settle close to our border.”
In addition to advancing in the Golan Heights, the IDF has bombed airfields, anti-aircraft batteries, and arms depots across Syria to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of HTS and other armed groups, some of which are backed by Türkiye.