Israeli tanks deployed near the buffer zone on the Syrian Golan, Dec. 8, 2024. (Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)
The Israeli army announced on Monday morning that its troops had entered the Syrian side of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, just 24 hours after a swift rebel offensive brought down the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
The Israeli army described the deployment as part of its efforts to secure the "buffer zone" and protect the "security of the citizens of the occupied Golan" and the rest of Israel. "The army is not involved in the events in Syria and will continue to work to protect the buffer zone," saidIsraeli army Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee on the social media platform X.
This marks the first time since the 1973 war that Israel has seized territory in Syria.
A few days to a few weeks
According to American news outlet Axios, Israel informed the United States in advance about its military operation, which aims to take control of the buffer zone along the Syrian border and several other key sites within Syria. Israeli officials told the Biden administration that the operation was temporary and would last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks until the security situation stabilizes along the border, Israeli and U.S. officials told Axios.
"This is a limited and temporary step we took for security reasons," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a press conference at the foreign ministry in Jerusalem. On Suday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had ordered the Israeli military to "seize" the demilitarized buffer zone on the border with Syria after the fall of Assad's regime. He added that a 50-year-old "disengagement agreement" between the two countries had collapsed and "Syrian forces have abandoned their positions."
'Violation of international law'
Jordan condemned the Israeli military's actions. "We condemn the fact that Israel has entered Syrian territory and taken control of the buffer zone," Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said in a statement to parliament. "We categorically reject this aggression and affirm that when we speak of Syria's unity, territorial integrity and cohesion, this also includes its borders with Israel," Safadi added.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also condemned Israel’s actions, calling them "further occupation of Syrian lands." The ministry described the army's movement into the buffer zone as an attempt to impose a new reality on the ground, according to Reuters.
On Sunday, the Israeli army imposed a curfew on several towns in the Syrian Golan Heights, including Ofania, Kuneitra, Hamidiyeh, Samdaniya al-Gharbiya, and Qahtaniya. Residents were instructed to stay indoors until further notice. Adraee, in a statement, explained that the curfew was necessary due to the ongoing fighting in the region, prompting Israel "to intervene."
