Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during his visit to the Syrian side of Mount Hermon on Tuesday that Israel and Israeli troops will remain at the site “until another arrangement is found that guarantees Israel’s security.”
Netanyahu made the statement alongside the heads of the defense establishment. "The events in Syria are happening at a dizzying pace, and their consequences could determine fates," he said.
3 View gallery
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and heads of the defense establishment visit the Syrian side of the Hermon
(Photo: Ma'ayan Toaf/ GPO)
3 View gallery
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the Syrian side of hte Mount Hermon with leaders of the defense establishment
(Photo: Defense Minister's Spokesman))
Netanyahu held a briefing Tuesday on the site over the Syrian border, together with Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Northern Command Commander Gen. Ori Gordin, and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar. According to a statement from his office: "The Prime Minister reviewed the IDF deployment in the area and set guidelines for the future."
"I am here on the summit of Mt. Hermon with the Defense Minister, the IDF Chief-of-Staff, the Head of Northern Command, the Director of the ISA and senior commanders. We are holding this assessment in order to decide on the deployment of the IDF in this important place until another arrangement is found that ensures Israel's security," he says.
Benjamin Netanyahu speaks from the Syrian side of the Hermon
(Video: Roy Avraham/ GPO, Sound: Nir Sharf/ GPO)
"This is nostalgic for me; I was here 53 years ago with my soldiers on a Sayeret Matkal patrol,” he says. “The place hasn’t changed, it’s the same place, but its importance to Israel’s security has only been reinforced in recent years, and especially in recent weeks with the dramatic events taking place here below us in Syria. We will determine the best arrangement that will ensure our security.”
Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammed al-Golani), addressed Israel for the first time over the weekend and said that Syria will continue to adhere to the disengagement agreement signed in 1974 following the Yom Kippur War. He called on the international community to ensure that Israel remained committed to the agreement.
3 View gallery
Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammed al-Golani)
(Photo: Abdulaziz Ketaz / AFP)
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
In a conversation he held on Monday with a small group of journalists, al-Sharaa sharply criticized Israel's "military advances" into Syrian territory beyond the Golan Heights and into the buffer zone declared by the UN under the agreement, which is considered disputed according to international consensus.
Israel has described its advances into Syrian territory as defensive measures aimed at preventing armed groups from seizing positions near the border and ensuring the security of communities in the Golan Heights.