Israel takes what's lying around

On November 19, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accompanied by senior commanders and officials, entered southern Syria in a clear violation of international law, visiting Israeli army bases, ‘Iswnews” reports.

In response, the Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement strongly condemning Netanyahu’s visit, calling it a serious breach of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Damascus reiterated its demand for the complete withdrawal of Israel from occupied Syrian territories, stressing that all actions by the occupying regime in southern Syria are null and void with no legal effect. The ministry also urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities, stop Israel’s actions, and compel the regime to fully retreat and comply with the 1974 disengagement agreement.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took control of the area after the regime of dictator Bashar al Assad fell on December 8, 2024. Israel’s presence on Syrian soil has been a source of tension between the new Syrian transitional government and Jerusalem.

The visit took place two days after Israeli media outlets reported that talks between Israel and Syria “for a landmark security deal are currently at a dead end.” It also came nine days after Syrian transitional President Ahmad al Sharaa met US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Syria’s foreign ministry condemned the visit by Israeli leaders. Russia’s ambassador to the UN also condemned Israel’s actions on the Golan, claiming that they pose a threat to the region.

The visit to the buffer zone included a large number of Israeli officials. The Israeli Government Press Office said in a statement that Netanyahu “visited the buffer zone in Syria, together with Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, [head of the Shin Bet] Director David Zini, National Security Council Acting Director Gil Reich, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, head of IDF Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Rafi Milo, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj.-Gen. Ghassan Alian, and IDF 210th Division Commander Brig.-Gen. Yair Pelai.” The event appears to be the largest public visit by Israeli officials since the IDF took over areas of the buffer zone.

On December 8, 2024, as the Assad regime collapsed, the IDF seized areas along the buffer zone that served as a ceasefire line between Syria and Israel since 1974. The line runs along the top of the Golan Heights, which the IDF took from Syria in 1967.

The IDF also took control of the summit of Mount Hermon after Assad’s fall. Previously, Israeli troops had controlled a lower peak near the top but not the summit, which was in Syrian hands.

Syria and most of the international community do not recognize Israel’s control of the Golan Heights or the new areas the IDF has taken over.

The Times of Israel reported that “Israel is reportedly insisting on remaining deployed to the nine posts it seized after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, unless the new ruling government agrees to a full peace deal and normalization.” Sharaa had said in Washington on November 12 that Israel should withdraw to the December 8 line, which is the 1974 ceasefire boundary.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accompanied by senior commanders and officials at Syrian the Golan Heights
Photo: iswnews.com

Netanyahu’s visit to the buffer zone with Syria received significant attention in Arabic media. Al Arabiya noted that Netanyahu said, “We attach great importance to our capabilities here, both defensive and offensive, to protect our Druze allies, and above all to protect the State of Israel and its northern border opposite the Golan Heights.” Israeli officials have vowed to protect the Druze in Syria over the last 10 months and carried out airstrikes on the new Syrian government when tensions between Damascus and the Druze rose.

The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that “Syria strongly condemned the illegal visit made by the Israeli occupation’s Prime Minister, along with Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs and a number of occupation officials to the southern region of the Syrian Arab Republic.”

The Syrian Foreign Ministry stated, “We affirm that the visit represents a new attempt to impose a de facto situation that contradicts relevant UN Security Council resolutions and falls within the occupation’s policies aimed at consolidating its aggression and continuing its violations of Syrian territory.”

read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs