Netanyahu demanded the “complete demilitarization” of southern Syria, where Israel illegally widened its forces.
Israel will not allow the military forces of the new Syrian government to operate in territory south of the capital of Syria Damascus, warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Addressing a military ceremony in Israel on Sunday, Netanyahu demanded “complete southern demilitarization Syria Troops of the new Syrian regime in the provinces of Quneitra, Daraa and Suwayda ”.
“We will not allow the forces of the HTS organization or the new Syrian army to enter the region south of Damascus,” said Netanyahu, referring to the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham group, who led the offensive who overthrew the Syrian chief Bashar Al- Assad last December.
He also warned that Israel would not accept any threat to the Druze community in Syria, who live in the Golan HeightsSyrian territory illegally occupied by Israel, and other parts of Southwest Syria.
Israel took advantage of the fall of Al-Assad to develop in a buffer zone between the Golan Heights occupied by Israeli and southern Syria, which has a United Nations agreement negotiated in 1974.
THE Druze are a religious minority found in several countries in the region. In Syria, many have expressed their opposition to Israeli expansion in the southwest of the country, and thousands of people living in the heights of occupied Golan have refused to take Israeli citizenship.
However, in Israel, the majority of the population of Druze support the Israeli state and men are enlisted in the army.
Israel occupies approximately two thirds of the heights of the Golan, with the non -administered buffer zone covering a narrow area of 400 square kilometers (154 km / miles). The rest was controlled by Syria.
In 1974, Israel and Syria concluded a cease-fire agreement which determined that the heights of Golan would be a demilitarized buffer zone.
But shortly after the fall of Al-Assad last December, the Israeli army moved to the buffer zone and made hundreds of air strikes on Syrian military assets.
Israel has justified its attacks on Syria for years by claiming that it eliminates the Iranian military objectives. However, Iran said that none of its forces was currently in Syria and that the new Syrian government said it had no desire to fight Israel.
Israeli forces have currently established two positions on the Mount Hermon of Syria and seven others in the buffer area, said Israel Israel Defense Minister Katz.
Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces would remain on Mount Hermon and a buffer zone in the heights of Golan occupied for “for an indefinite period to protect our communities and thwart any threat”.