Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the summit of Mount Hermon, a strategic location within the Golan Heights, a disputed territory with Syria, and announced, “We will station troops for a long period of time.” Israel took advantage of the chaos in Syria due to the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime and occupied the summit of Mount Hermon on the 8th. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist rebel group that holds real power in Syria’s transitional government, is protesting that “the presence of Israeli troops is an unjustified and inappropriate threat.”
On the 18th, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office released a video showing Prime Minister Netanyahu climbing to the top of Mount Hermon and inspecting it along with Defense Minister Israel Katz and others. In the video, Prime Minister Netanyahu wears a bulletproof vest on snow-covered Mount Hermon and says, “I will stay here until there is another agreement that guarantees the security of Israel.” “The dramatic events that have taken place in Syria in recent years, and especially in recent weeks, have increased its importance to Israel’s security,” he added. The Times of Israel reported that this was the first time an Israeli prime minister entered Syrian territory.
Minister Katz described Mount Hermon as “Israel’s eyes for monitoring security threats.” He also said, “We will remain stationed for as long as necessary to strengthen deterrence against (Lebanese armed group) Hezbollah and the rebels in (Syrian capital) Damascus (HTS) who follow Islamic extremism.”
Mount Hermon is a strategic point bordering three countries: Israel, Syria, and Lebanon. At 2814m, it is the highest mountain in Israel and Syria and the second highest mountain in Lebanon. In particular, Mount Hermon is only 35km away from Damascus, the capital of Syria, and is adjacent to southern Lebanon, the base of Hezbollah, so it has great security value from Israel’s perspective.
Ahmed al-Shara, head of HTS, told Syrian media on the 15th, “Israel’s occupation of Mount Hermon lacks legitimacy and is an inappropriate threat,” and added, “Syria does not want a new conflict.”
The summit of Mount Hermon, which Israel occupied on the 8th, is a demilitarized buffer zone within the Golan Heights established in accordance with the 1974 ceasefire agreement between Syria and Israel. The international community, including the United Nations, which monitors this buffer zone, is criticizing Israel for breaking the 1974 agreement. Israel claims that the agreement became invalid when former Syrian President Assad was ousted.
Reporter Lee Ji-yoon [email protected]
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