Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he has instructed the military to assume control of the buffer zone separating the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria. This move marks the first time Israeli troops will be stationed in the buffer zone since the establishment of the line of control between Israel and Syria in 1974.
The Golan Heights was captured by Israel from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981, although most international powers, with the exception of the United States, consider it as occupied Syrian territory.
During a visit to the Golan Heights, Netanyahu, along with the defense minister and with the support of the cabinet, directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to take control of the buffer zone and the surrounding dominant positions. The objective is to prevent any hostile forces from establishing themselves along the Israeli border.
The IDF confirmed the deployment, stating that it was carried out to ensure the safety of the Golan Heights communities and Israeli citizens, following reports of Syrian troops abandoning their posts. The military emphasized that it is not intervening in Syria's internal affairs.
Netanyahu attributed the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria to Israel's military actions against Iran and its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah. He described the situation as a historic moment in the Middle East and highlighted Israel's commitment to a policy of good neighborliness.
