Israeli Prime Minister announces continued troop presence in Syria

(Dan Tri) - This is the assertion made by Mr. Netanyahu when inspecting the situation on top of Mount Hermon on the other side of the Syrian border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a press conference in Jerusalem on December 9, 2024 (Photo: AFP).

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on December 17 that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will continue to be stationed inside Syria for the foreseeable future. Netanyahu made the statement while inspecting the situation on Mount Hermon with senior Israeli security officials.

Accompanying Mr. Netanyahu were Defense Minister Katz, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army - Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi and Commander of the Northern Command Uri Gordin.

This event also marked the first time a sitting Israeli leader set foot on Syrian territory.

Israel sent troops into the UN-controlled buffer zone in the Golan Heights just hours after Syrian opposition forces entered the capital Damascus on December 8.

At the time, Tel Aviv asserted that the occupation of the buffer zone, established in 1974, was only a temporary defensive move and would only last until security was assured along the border. Israel also stated that it had no intention of getting involved in the conflict in Syria.

"This location has not changed, it is still the same area, but its importance to Israel's security has increased in recent years, especially in recent weeks due to the rapid developments in Syria," Netanyahu said.

Sharing the same view with Mr. Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Katz considers Mount Hermon as "the eyes for the state of Israel to detect threats near and far".

“We will remain here as long as necessary,” Katz added. “Our presence here on Mount Hermon is to enhance security, both to monitor and deter Hezbollah strongholds in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon and opposition forces in Damascus.”

Since the fall of President Assad's regime, the leader of the armed opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani), has always emphasized that the rights of all Syrians, regardless of religion or ethnicity, will always be protected under his leadership.

In an interview with Britain's Times newspaper on Monday, Mr. al-Sharaa affirmed his commitment to complying with the 1974 agreement with Israel on establishing a demilitarized zone on Syrian territory after the end of the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

"We do not want any conflict, whether with Israel or any other country. We will not let Syria be used as a springboard for attacks," al-Sharaa stressed.

The head of HTS called on Israel to "return to its previous positions", while criticizing the intense airstrikes that Israel has carried out in recent days that have destroyed most of the military assets under the regime of ousted President Assad.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal , Mr. al-Sharaa affirmed that "there is no reason for Israel to bomb facilities in Syria or enter Syrian territory."

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/thu-tuong-israel-tuyen-bo-tiep-tuc-dong-quan-o-syria-20241218065824358.htm