Israel Suggests Long-Term Occupation Of Buffer Zone In Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally visited the area to hint at plans for a long-term occupation, as Israel has entered a buffer zone in Syria following the collapse of the Syrian Bashar regime.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 17th, Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Katz climbed to the top of Mount Hermon in the Demilitarized Buffer Zone in Syrian territory and ordered their troops deployed here to build defense facilities and prepare for long-term stationing.

Katz emphasized the significance of the presence here, calling Mount Hermon the "eye of Israel" that can monitor trends in Syria.

After Syrian rebels ousted Bashar al-Assad's regime and declared victory, Israel sent troops across the border of the northern occupied Golan Heights and into a demilitarized buffer zone inside Syrian territory.

We also deployed troops to the top of Mount Hermon, which is the highest in the area and offers a panoramic view of the surroundings.

It is the first time in 50 years that Israeli forces have entered Syria since Israel and Syria broke down in 1974.

On the reason for the presence of troops in the buffer zone, Katz said earlier that "the situation in Syria has made it very important for security to protect the peak of Mount Hermon."

The prime minister and defense minister personally visited Mount Hermon and instructed them to prepare for a prolonged presence, revealing that the occupation could be prolonged.

Syrian rebels and the international community are protesting the Israeli military's attempt to seize Syrian territory, violating international rules.

Ahmed al-Shara (pseudonym Abu Muhammad al-Zolani), the head of the Syrian rebel group HTS, which is leading the establishment of the new regime, said in an interview on Syrian TV that "Israel clearly crosses the border from Syria and poses a threat of improper escalation of tension in the region."

"Syria is exhausted by years of conflict and war and cannot afford new conflicts," he said. "At this stage, reconstruction and stability are priorities and we do not want to be dragged into a conflict that will lead to further destruction."

The international community, including the United Nations, also pointed out that Israel violated Syria's territorial sovereignty and violated the 1974 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria.

Israel, however, seems completely oblivious to such criticism ahead of the re-launch of the Donald Trump administration, which recognized Israeli sovereignty in the war-torn Syrian Golan Heights.

Israel claims the 1974 agreement is now invalid when the Syrian regime collapsed and Syrian government forces left the camp.

Furthermore, they say that the rebels seeking to establish a new Syrian regime are Islamic extremists and need to be stopped.

Israel even recently approved a plan to double the population of Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights.

Netanyahu approved the plan and said it was a necessary move because a "new front" was created on the Israeli-Syrian border following the collapse of Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime.

Located on the Syrian border in northern Israel, the Golan Heights is an area that Israel has effectively controlled so far after capturing what was Syrian territory during the Third Middle East War in 1967.

The international community considers the Golan Heights to be Syrian territory occupied by Israel because annexing the territories of other war-torn countries is a violation of international law.