Israeli forces to remain in Syrian Golan Heights buffer zone despite condemnations

Shafaq News/ On Friday, Israeli Security Minister, Israel Katz, ordered the military to prepare for an extended deployment in the buffer zone with Syria in the occupied Golan Heights, citing security concerns amid the ongoing turmoil in Syria.

"Due to the situation in Syria, it is of critical security importance to maintain our presence at the summit of Mount Hermon," Katz said in a statement. "Every effort must be made to ensure the army's readiness to remain there, even under harsh winter conditions."

Since the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, Israel has reinforced its military presence in the buffer zone, a strip of land on the Syrian side of the demarcation line established after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The area was designated under a United Nations-brokered Agreement on Disengagement.

Several countries have condemned Israel's latest move to strengthen its presence in the buffer zone, viewing it as a violation of international agreements.

Israel defended its actions, describing its incursion into strategic areas of Mount Hermon as “temporary and limited” to safeguard its national security.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, argued that the collapse of Assad’s government has left no authority to uphold the disengagement agreement. "We will stay in the buffer zone only until a suitable arrangement is reached," he said, without specifying a timeline.

The situation has left the future of Israel's presence in the buffer zone uncertain.