Israel says its troops in Syria will remain atop Mt Hermon indefinitely

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on Tuesday that Israeli troops would remain atop Mount Hermon in southern Syria indefinitely, following their strategic seizure of the area after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Katz, who visited the troops stationed there, emphasized that Israel would not permit "hostile forces" to establish a presence in the region.

Mount Hermon, a critical location with snowcapped peaks that dominate the Syria-Lebanon border, offers strategic views of the Damascus countryside as well as the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which Israel captured during the 1967 Middle East war. The territory has been a point of contention between Israel and Syria for decades.

Israeli officials stated that troops had positioned themselves within a U.N.-monitored demilitarized zone in Syria, with some units reportedly venturing beyond it. Israel has previously maintained that these actions were temporary and necessary to safeguard Israeli borders. However, the continued presence of Israeli forces in Syria has sparked criticism from several countries and international bodies, including the United Nations, which has called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area.

This move marks a significant shift in Israeli military strategy in the region and raises further concerns about the ongoing tensions between Israel and its neighbours, particularly Syria.

This report was originally published by Reuters.