Netanyahu orders military control of Syria border buffer zone
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday that he had ordered the army to "take control" of the buffer zone separating the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria.
According to CNN, this would be the first deployment of Israeli troops in the buffer zone since the 1974 agreement that established the control line between Israel and Syria.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and annexed it in 1981. Most international powers, except for the United States, recognize it as occupied Syrian territory.
- Together with the Defense Minister, and with full backing from the Cabinet, I directed the IDF yesterday to take control of the buffer zone and the dominant positions near it - said Netanyahu during a visit to the Golan Heights. - We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border - he added.
The Israel Defense Forces announced the deployment of troops, stating that it was conducted "to ensure the safety of the communities of the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel." This occurred after Syrian forces left the control posts. "The State of Israel does not interfere in in the domestic conflict within Syria," assures the army.
Netanyahu also stated that the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria is a "direct result" of the Israeli military campaign against Iran and its ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah.
- This is a historic day in the history of the Middle East - he said. He also added that Israel is implementing a policy of "good neighbourliness."
