Netanyahu says ordered IOF to occupy buffer zone with Syria
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The Israeli Prime Minister calls Syria the "central link" in the Axis of Resistance and hails its fall.
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Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony in Tel Aviv on June 18, 2024. (AP)
Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad on Sunday as a "historic day".
In response to developments in Syria, the Israeli army announced that it increased its presence in the Golan Heights, deploying forces to key locations in the demilitarized zone.
The move, as per the Israeli army, is aimed at securing Israeli settlements in the area and protecting the safety of Israeli settlers, given concerns over potential militant incursions.
During a visit to the area near the Palestinian-Syrian border, Netanyahu said a 50-year-old "disengagement agreement" between the two countries had collapsed and "Syrian forces have abandoned their positions".
As a result, he said, "I directed the IDF (military) yesterday to seize the buffer zone and the commanding positions nearby. We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border."
According to Netanyahu, the toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria was a "historic day in the... Middle East" and the collapse of a "central link in Iran's axis of evil."
He claimed that this was the "direct result" of the "blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, Assad's main supporters. It has triggered a chain reaction across the Middle East, empowering those seeking to break free from this oppressive regime."
This comes as multiple reports surfaced of Israeli airstrikes targeting a strategic airbase in Syria and residential areas in Damascus in recent hours.
Reuters cited security sources who said "aircraft believed to be Israeli" struck the Khalkhala airbase in southern Syria. In addition, the agency reported that "suspected Israeli strikes" targeted the Mazzeh neighborhood in Damascus, with media sources confirming two large explosions in the area.
In further detail, an Israeli army spokesperson alleged that Tel Aviv is not intervening in the ongoing events in Syria.
"The Israeli army will continue to take necessary actions to preserve the demilitarized zone and protect the state and its people," the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reports indicate heightened military activity, including the entry of Israeli forces into Khan Arnabeh in the occupied Golan Heights.
Additionally, Walla news reported that "Israel" is in direct communication with various groups in Syria, including the militant group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, through intermediaries. The Israeli message, according to the report, urges these groups to stay away from the border area.
