Israel forces conquer Syrian side of Mount Hermon

This is the first time Israel’s military has established a presence in the area since the end of the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

On Sunday, the IDF conquered the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, the first time Israel’s military has established a presence in the area since 1973.

Mount Hermon was abandoned by the army of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad following his ouster.

The forces that captured the area were members of the IAF’s Shaldag Unit.

The IDF has decided to establish a closed military zone in agricultural areas between Merom Golan-Ein Zivan and Buq’ata-Khirbat Ein Hura, based on a situational assessment.

In 1974, an agreement to stop attrition warfare following the Yom Kippur War delineated a buffer zone between the border of Israel and Syria that was supposed to have been guarded by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).

Absent such a force, Defense Minister Israel Katz deployed Israeli troops to Mount Hermon to ensure the safety of Israel’s Golan Heights.

Speaking at Israel’s border with Syria on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the end of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s 14-year-old regime a “milestone” for Israel and credited Israeli strikes against Iran and Hezbollah for the development.

Addressing security concerns, Netanyahu said Israeli forces have been deployed to the buffer zone to protect Israeli communities on the border.

He said, “We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border.”

Netanyahu called Assad’s ouster a “historic day for the Middle East,” citing Syria’s pivotal role in Iran’s network.

He said, “The Assad regime is a central link in Iran’s axis of evil – this regime has fallen. This is a direct result of the blows we inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, the main supporters of the Assad regime.”

Netanyahu continued, “This has created a chain reaction throughout the Middle East of all those who want to be free from this oppressive and tyrannical regime.”

However, the premier added that the development, while welcome for Israel, is “not without risks,” and Israeli forces are needed to fill the buffer zone to safeguard Israeli communities.

“But it is also not without risks. First and foremost, we are working to protect our border. This area has been controlled for nearly 50 years by a buffer zone agreed upon in 1974, the Separation of Forces Agreement. This agreement collapsed,” he said.