Israel declares permanent military operations in Syria
According to Defense Minister Israel Katz, the IDF troops will remain in the territories captured in December for an “unlimited time.” Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
IDF troops will remain for an “unlimited time” in territories seized in December, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz.
The Israel Defense Forces are set for an indefinite presence in southern Syria, as stated by Defense Minister Israel Katz during his visit to Mount Hermon, located just across the Israeli border in the region. The military expanded its operations on Syrian soil last December following the ousting of former president Bashar Assad.
West Jerusalem aims to create a so-called security zone in the occupied Syrian territories and nearby areas as a means to address threats to national security and prevent other military forces from entering, Katz elaborated on Wednesday.
“The IDF is prepared to stay in Syria for an unlimited amount of time. We will hold the security area in Hermon and make sure that all the security zone in southern Syria is demilitarized and clear of weapons and threats,” the defense minister said.
As reported by the Times of Israel, the IDF has set up nine military bases in the areas it has occupied since December, including two on Mount Hermon.
The Israeli military views a 15-kilometer-deep zone stretching from the Golan Heights, which it already occupies, into southern Syria as a legitimate operational area.
Katz claimed that the IDF “attacked more than 40 targets in southern Syria to implement the policy we announced” on Wednesday night. He noted that the military presence is intended to deter threats presented by Syria’s transitional authorities and various affiliated militant groups.
In December, a broad coalition of armed groups, led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham under Ahmed al-Sharaa, seized power in Syria.
The IDF entered the buffer zone between the Golan Heights and Syria, as well as deeper into Syrian territory, at the end of 2024 amid the power shift in Damascus.
West Jerusalem subsequently labeled Syria’s new leaders as “polite jihadists,” regarding them as a threat.
Syria’s transitional government has consistently demanded that Israel withdraw from the area and has called for the deployment of UN forces in its place.
Israel gained control of the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967 after defeating Syria and Egypt in the Six-Day War. Damascus attempted to reclaim the strategic region in 1973 but was unsuccessful. In 1981, West Jerusalem annexed the territory, a move that has never been recognized internationally.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
The Israel Defense Forces are set for an indefinite presence in southern Syria, as stated by Defense Minister Israel Katz during his visit to Mount Hermon, located just across the Israeli border in the region. The military expanded its operations on Syrian soil last December following the ousting of former president Bashar Assad.
West Jerusalem aims to create a so-called security zone in the occupied Syrian territories and nearby areas as a means to address threats to national security and prevent other military forces from entering, Katz elaborated on Wednesday.
“The IDF is prepared to stay in Syria for an unlimited amount of time. We will hold the security area in Hermon and make sure that all the security zone in southern Syria is demilitarized and clear of weapons and threats,” the defense minister said.
As reported by the Times of Israel, the IDF has set up nine military bases in the areas it has occupied since December, including two on Mount Hermon.
The Israeli military views a 15-kilometer-deep zone stretching from the Golan Heights, which it already occupies, into southern Syria as a legitimate operational area.
Katz claimed that the IDF “attacked more than 40 targets in southern Syria to implement the policy we announced” on Wednesday night. He noted that the military presence is intended to deter threats presented by Syria’s transitional authorities and various affiliated militant groups.
In December, a broad coalition of armed groups, led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham under Ahmed al-Sharaa, seized power in Syria.
The IDF entered the buffer zone between the Golan Heights and Syria, as well as deeper into Syrian territory, at the end of 2024 amid the power shift in Damascus.
West Jerusalem subsequently labeled Syria’s new leaders as “polite jihadists,” regarding them as a threat.
Syria’s transitional government has consistently demanded that Israel withdraw from the area and has called for the deployment of UN forces in its place.
Israel gained control of the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967 after defeating Syria and Egypt in the Six-Day War. Damascus attempted to reclaim the strategic region in 1973 but was unsuccessful. In 1981, West Jerusalem annexed the territory, a move that has never been recognized internationally.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
