Israel calls the capture of part of Syria ‘temporary’, bombs dozens of places

This article was last updated on December 9, 2024

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Israel calls the capture of part of Syria ‘temporary’, bombs dozens of places

The Israeli army has a “limited and temporary” presence in neighboring Syria, says Foreign Minister Saar. Since yesterday, Israel has occupied a strip of Syrian territory on the border, claiming to ensure security now that the Assad regime has fallen.

The raid on the demilitarized buffer zone will be accompanied by air strikes. Israel has bombed targets in dozens of places in Syria. For example, according to Saar, storage locations for chemical weapons and missiles have been destroyed to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists.

‘Villagers arrested’

There are unconfirmed reports of civilians being arrested by the Israeli army. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOM), all residents of a Syrian village are in the buffer zone arrested yesterday. A man was also reportedly killed by Israeli soldiers nearby. It is unclear whether he was armed.

The Israeli army had yesterday warned citizens of a number of villages not to go out because of fighting. It is not clear who is being fought against. SOM, based on eyewitnesses and local sources, reports that Israeli tanks and armored vehicles are active in the area. The buffer zone is approximately 100 kilometers long and between 2 and 5 kilometers wide.

Last weekend confirmed the UN mission in the buffer zone that twenty armed persons were active in the north, near Mount Hermon. The Israeli army said it had come to the aid of UN observers.

Power vacuum

The fall of the Assad regime has created a power vacuum in Syria. According to Israel, all Syrian government soldiers have fled the border area. In addition to Israel, Turkey and the US are now also carrying out air strikes in Syria. Neighboring countries and major powers are using the situation to safeguard their interests.

Saar reiterates that Israel wants to protect itself against possible attacks from Syria. He did not say anything about how long the Israeli army will remain present in the buffer zone.

Egypt condemns ‘further occupation‘

Egypt is ashamed of Israel’s military move. A statement called it “a further occupation of Syrian land.” Egypt suggests that Israel wants to permanently expand the border.

Israel has occupied the Golan Heights it captured from Syria for decades. The government has annexed that area, but only its ally the US recognizes it as Israeli territory.

Buffer zone

In the 1970s, Syria and Israel agreed to create a buffer zone near the Golan Heights. No military personnel are allowed to be active in this area. But according to Prime Minister Netanyahu, this agreement has lapsed now that Assad has fallen and rebels have taken power.

The Assad regime had chemical weapons and missiles. For example, the dictator used poison gas against citizens who had rebelled. Last weekend, after more than 13 years of civil war, Assad was deposed by rebel group HTS.

Nasrah Habiballah, Israel and Palestinian correspondent

“Israel has said it does not want to interfere in the internal conflict in Syria, but has sent additional troops to the border to strengthen the buffer zone between the two countries. Not only to stop rebels, but also to stop Syrians who may want to flee.

Many Druze, the original inhabitants of that area, live in the Golan Heights, annexed by Israel. Many Druze on the Israeli side still consider themselves Syrians. The army takes into account that members of the Druze community may want to help their relatives on the Syrian side to cross the border. Israel wants to prevent that.”