Politics Israeli soldiers to remain in Syria in winter
Israeli soldiers are to remain stationed on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon throughout the winter. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the army to prepare to remain on the summit of the mountain for the coming months, his office announced.
13.12.2024, 09:48
SDA
This is important due to the events in Syria. Large parts of Syria and Lebanon can be monitored from this strategically important location.
The mountain is "back under Israeli control after 51 years", wrote Katz on Platform X. He spoke of an "exciting historical moment".
Following the takeover of power by Islamist rebels in Syria, Israel's army had deployed troops to a buffer zone between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the neighboring country, including on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this is to be a temporary measure "until a suitable solution is found". The advance into Syrian territory has also met with international criticism.
Since the fall of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israel's air force has also been massively bombing military installations in the interior of the country. Air strikes were carried out again on Friday night. Among other things, weapons depots and research centers in the rural areas surrounding Homs and Hama were hit, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
