JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israeli troops would maintain a long-term presence in a newly captured buffer zone in southern Syria, emphasizing its strategic importance for Israel’s security.
Netanyahu made these remarks during a visit to Mount Hermon, the highest peak in the region, located inside Syria just 10 kilometers from the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.
This marked the first time a sitting Israeli leader had visited such a position inside Syria.
The Israeli military seized the 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) demilitarized area, which lies along the border with the Golan Heights, shortly after President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster by rebel forces.
The move has drawn international criticism, with detractors accusing Israel of violating a 1974 ceasefire agreement and exploiting the ongoing turmoil in Syria for territorial gain.
“We will stay here until another arrangement is found that ensures Israel’s security,” Netanyahu said during his visit, accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Katz instructed the Israeli military to swiftly establish fortifications in the area, anticipating a prolonged presence. “The summit of Mount Hermon is critical for identifying potential threats, both near and far,” he said.
An Israeli military source, who requested anonymity, stated that there were no plans to evacuate the Syrian villagers residing within the buffer zone.
The buffer zone was originally created by the United Nations after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war to separate Israeli and Syrian forces.
For decades, U.N. peacekeepers, numbering around 1,100 troops, have monitored the area. However, the recent Israeli military advance into the zone has been condemned by the U.N., with spokesman Stephane Dujarric calling it a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria in 1967 and later annexed, is not recognized by most of the international community, although the United States recognizes Israel’s sovereignty over the territory.
Meanwhile, in Syria, humanitarian efforts are intensifying as insurgent leaders, including the head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, pledged to increase aid for millions of Syrians affected by the ongoing conflict.
Despite the challenges, the U.N. is working with rebel factions to ensure continued humanitarian support.
Additionally, the German government has engaged with HTS leaders, focusing on Syria’s political transition and human rights protections.
Elsewhere, a mass grave containing the remains of more than 30 Syrians, who had disappeared under Assad’s regime, was uncovered in the village of Izraa.
Relatives of the missing individuals, many of whom had hoped to find their loved ones in prison, gathered at the site.
In diplomatic developments, Qatar reopened its embassy in Damascus on Tuesday, marking a significant shift in relations after nearly 13 years of severed ties with Assad’s government.
Meanwhile, the French Embassy in Damascus raised its flag in a symbolic gesture of support for the Syrian people, while the Turkish Embassy also resumed operations.