Israeli prime minister visits troops in occupied Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Israeli troops in occupied Syria on November 19th, as reported by Middle East Eye and agencies.

Netanyahu, along with several Israeli officials visited military positions in the buffer zone seized by Israel last year. Israel, which has occupied Syria’s Golan Heights against international law since 1967, expanded its territory in Syria’s south after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government, seizing all of a UN-patrolled buffer zone which had once divided Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights. 

Netanyahu addressed Israeli soldiers at the outpost, claiming the occupation of territory is essential to “safeguarding” Druze allies, and “safeguarding Israel and its northern border opposite the Golan Heights”.  

The visit comes as Syria urges for Israeli withdrawal to pre-December 8th borders, highlighting the violations of the 1974 disengagement agreement. In response to the visit, Syria’s foreign ministry condemned it as “illegal”, stating it “constitutes a clear violation of Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and relevant UN Security Council resolutions”.  It added Israeli operations in Syria’s south were “null, void, and legally invalid under international law”.

Syria’s Ambassador to the UN, Ibrahim Olabi, urged the UN security council to stop Israeli violations and implement resolutions, such as the 1974 disengagement agreement.  

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called the “very public visit” by Israeli officials to the area “concerning to say the least,” noting that the UN Resolution 2799 reaffirmed Syria’s sovereignty, cohesion, independence and territorial integrity.

 Israeli ambassador Danny Danon criticized Syria’s record on extremism and civilian protection, but did not address Netanyahu’s visit.

Meanwhile, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said Israel had launched over 1,000 strikes since December 8th 2024, which have hindered efforts of an ongoing security deal. Sharaa has confirmed that Syria and Israel were engaged in direct negotiations on a new security deal.

Middle East Eye and agencies, Maghrebi.org