Statements from UN, EU, or major world powers

Israel Orders Military to Stay in Syrian Territory on Mount Hermon for Security

Dec 13, 2024, 09:37 AM

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the Israeli military to prepare for a continued presence on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon through the winter. This deployment, aimed at maintaining security due to the situation in Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government, includes the occupation of Syrian territory seized after Assad's flight from the country. The Israeli forces have taken over Syrian army positions in parts of Mount Hermon, an area Israel first evacuated in 1974, to secure the Golan Heights and create a 'sterile defense zone' in southern Syria, preventing rebels from taking control of this region. The occupation is part of a broader strategy to ensure the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement is upheld. The Israeli military has also been actively bombing the arsenal of the deposed Assad regime, targeting weapons warehouses, chemical weapons stocks, and air defenses to prevent them from falling into the hands of insurgents.