Israeli army preparing for a long stay in Syria: Israeli media
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Israeli media reported that political leaders in "Israel" have instructed the military to prepare for an extended presence in Syrian territory.
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Israeli soldiers sit in an armored vehicle before crossing the security fence, moving towards the Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams, on December 18, 2024. (AP)
Israeli media reported on Friday that the Israeli military is preparing for an extended presence in Syria.
According to Walla, "Despite pressure from European parties on Israel, political leaders have instructed the Israeli army to brace for a prolonged stay in Syrian territory."
The report also noted that no intelligence agency had predicted the rapid collapse of the former Syrian regime's army, and as a result, the Israeli military is now establishing a more significant presence in the region.
Two days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to prepare to remain in the Syrian Mount Hermon area and the UN-patrolled buffer zone until at least the end of 2025, Israeli Army Radio reported.
Moreover, Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz said that Netanyahu conducted a security briefing on Tuesday atop the strategic Syrian Mount Hermon of the Golan Heights, which "Israel" occupied earlier this month.
"Israel" first captured the Syrian Golan Heights during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and later "annexed" the territory in a move that has been condemned worldwide.
Netanyahu, Katz, and senior military and security officials visited "outposts at the summit of Mount Hermon for the first time since they were seized by the military," the Security Minister's office confirmed.
"The summit of Mount Hermon serves as Israel's eyes for identifying both near and distant threats," Katz emphasized.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the briefing took place on the "Hermon Ridge", where the Prime Minister reviewed the military’s deployment in the area and set future operational guidelines.
'Israel' to dig trench in Mount Hermon to block off Lebanon: Exclusive
On Monday, the Israeli occupation continues its ground incursion into southern Syria, extending its control over new villages for the fifth consecutive day.
An Al Mayadeen correspondent reported that Israeli occupation forces have expanded their presence to a depth of 26 km from the slopes of Mount Hermon into southern Damascus’s countryside, along the border with Lebanon.
In the eastern sector of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, Israeli forces have advanced approximately 12 km into Quneitra Province and its eastern countryside.
Sources informed Al Mayadeen that Israeli forces deployed engineering equipment toward the area previously known as the Beit Jinn gap on the slopes of Mount Hermon. This move is reportedly aimed at digging trenches to prevent potential links with Lebanese territories.
