Netanyahu: “Israeli” Troops Will Stay in Syrian Territory until a New Security Arrangement

By Staff, Agencies

The “Israeli” entity’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that “Israeli” troops would remain stationed in a so-called “buffer zone” within the occupied Syrian Golan Heights until an arrangement is reached that guarantees "‘Israel’s’ security".

Speaking on Tuesday from Mount “Hermon”, or Jabal al-Shaykh in Arabic—Syria’s highest peak located about 10 kilometers [6 miles] from the border with the Golan Heights—Netanyahu emphasized the strategic importance of the area.

The “Israeli” prime minister, accompanied by War Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, “Shin Bet” chief Ronen Bat, and Northern Command chief Major General Uri Gordin, reiterated that the troops' presence in the area is essential “until another arrangement can be found that guarantees ‘Israel’s’ security.”

Reflecting on his past, Netanyahu noted, “I stood on this mountain as a soldier 53 years ago. Its importance to ‘Israel’s’ security has only increased with recent developments.”

Katz echoed Netanyahu’s stance, asserting, “We will stay here for as long as necessary.”

He described the summit as “Israel's eyes for identifying near and distant threats,” pointing out that it provides a strategic view of Hezbollah positions in Lebanon and Damascus in Syria.

The “Israeli” military captured the UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights shortly after armed groups seized control of Damascus on December 8. This move has drawn widespread condemnation for terminating the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria and exploiting Syria's instability to expand its territorial claims.

UN Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric criticized the “Israeli” presence, stating, “Occupation is occupation, whether it lasts a week, a month, or a year. It remains occupation.”

He stressed that the 1974 agreement, which created the buffer zone after the 1973 Arab-“Israeli” War, “needs to be respected.”