Israeli troops will occupy a buffer zone inside Syria for the foreseeable future, Netanyahu says

The Israeli military will remain in Syrian territory – in a supposedly demilitarized zone – indefinitely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday, as part of what he described as an attempt to bolster security amid unrest in Syria.

The troops will stay “until another agreement is found that ensures Israel’s security,” Netanyahu said on Mount Hermon, which is divided between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Lebanon and Syria.

Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Israel entered the demilitarized buffer zone east of the Golan Heights earlier this month. The seizure of about 400 square kilometers of Syrian territory sparked accusations that Israel was violating the 1974 United Nations-brokered ceasefire that established the zone and that it was exploiting the chaos in its northeastern neighbor for a land grab.

In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Israel captured and later annexed the Golan Heights from Syria. His claim to the region is recognized only by the USA

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, appearing with Netanyahu, said he had ordered the military to quickly establish a presence, including fortifications, in anticipation of a potentially lengthy stay in the region.

The mountain’s summit, the highest point in the region, will be “the eye of the State of Israel to identify our enemies who are near and far,” Katz said.

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 zone.

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

An AP report last month Examination of satellite images noted that Israel had already been working on a construction project, possibly a new road, near Syria since July and in some cases had entered the zone during construction.

UN troops later warned that the Israeli military had committed “serious violations” of its ceasefire agreement with Syria.

Air strikes across Syria

According to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Israeli troops began advancing into the buffer zone on December 7. On the same day, unknown gunmen attacked UN forces in Syria.

“(The Israeli military) has deliberately and temporarily taken control of certain areas near the border to prevent an October 7 scenario from Syria,” Saar said at the time, referring to Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip in 2023.

That followed a wave of airstrikes in Syria that hit more than 350 targets, including anti-aircraft batteries, military airfields, weapons production facilities, fighter jets and missiles, the Israeli military said.

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 them from being used by rebel groups that pushed al-Assad from power. Some of these attacks 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 troops, no matter how long it lasted, violated the agreement establishing the buffer zone.

This agreement “must be respected, and occupation is occupation, whether it lasts a week, a month or a year, it remains occupation,” said Stéphane Dujarric.

There was no immediate comment from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the insurgent group that led the overthrow of al-Assad, or from Arab states.

Earlier, Ahmad al-Sharaa – Syria’s de facto leader and head of the HTS – said Israel was using false pretexts to justify its attacks. However, he made it clear that he was not interested in getting involved in new conflicts as the country focused on reconstruction.

Others in the region condemned Israel’s advance into Syrian territory earlier this month. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry accused Israel of “exploiting the power vacuum to occupy additional Syrian territories and create a fait accompli in violation of international law.”

Saudi Arabia separately criticized Israel for its “determination to undermine Syria’s ability to restore its security, stability and territorial integrity.”