AhlulBayt News Agency: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intensified his territorial demands in Syria, calling for a compulsory demilitarized “buffer zone” extending from the edge of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to the outskirts of Damascus.
Netanyahu made this demand in a statement from his office on Tuesday, following his visit to Israeli soldiers wounded during a recent incursion into Syrian territory.
The raid struck the town of Beit Jinn, where Syrian media reported that at least 13 civilians, including women and children, were killed. Israel claimed the operation targeted “militants,” but provided no verified evidence regarding those killed.
In his remarks, Netanyahu insisted that the buffer zone must include approaches to Mount Hermon, even its summit, presenting the expansion of Israeli military control as a non-negotiable “security principle.”
He declared, “We hold these territories to ensure the security of our settlers,” adding that any agreement with Syria would require Damascus to accept Tel Aviv’s conditions.
The statement coincided with comments by US President Donald Trump, who said Israel must “maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria” and warned against actions that could “interfere with Syria’s evolution,” while avoiding mention of Israel’s ongoing ground operations.
Analysts dismissed Trump’s remarks as superficial, noting Washington’s consistent support for Israel’s regional incursions and violations of Syrian sovereignty.
Since late 2024, after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government during an Israeli-backed offensive, Israeli forces have advanced into the United Nations-designated Area of Separation established in 1974 under a UN ceasefire.
This 235-square-kilometer zone was originally meant to serve as neutral ground to prevent escalation, monitored by UN peacekeepers.
Most countries continue to reject Israel’s annexation of the wider Golan Heights, captured in 1967.
Israel claims that some of its deeper strikes in Syria are intended to protect the Druze minority, but independent analysts question this, pointing out that Israeli forces have simultaneously bombed civilian infrastructure and political sites far from sectarian conflict zones. The Druze community itself has rejected Israel’s “protection.”
Trump has openly embraced Syria’s new ruler, Abu Mohammad Jolani, a former Daesh and al-Qaeda commander who rose to power through the Israeli-backed campaign. Jolani was even hosted at the White House.
Trump had earlier been honored by Israel with “Trump Heights,” an illegal settlement built on occupied land.
/129
Your Comment