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Israeli Defense Ministry/TPS-IL on 10 December, 2024
Israel Working to Establish Defense Zone in Syria
Jerusalem, 10 December, 2024 (TPS-IL) -- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the security establishment is working to establish a defense zone in southern Syria on Tuesday. This zone, Katz said, would be free of terror threats, without a permanent Israeli presence.
“This is to prevent the establishment of terrorism in the region, as happened in Lebanon and Gaza. We will not allow this to happen again,” Katz said while visiting a naval base in Haifa.
Katz’s visit came one day after airstrikes destroyed the Syrian naval fleet.
Katz also warned Islamists against trying to exploit Syria’s political vacuum.
“Our message is clear: those who follow Assad’s path will end like Assad,” said Katz. “We will not allow an extremist Islamic terrorist entity to operate against Israel beyond our borders and threaten our citizens. We will do whatever it takes to eliminate the threat.”
Katz received operational briefings from the commanders on the Israeli fleet’s operational activities and details of operations carried out the previous day.
As the government of Bashar Assad collapsed on Sunday, Israel sent forces into the 235 sq km buffer zone to prevent Syrian rebels from approaching the border. The move into the demilitarized zone was coordinated with peacekeepers from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, which has been monitoring an Israeli-Syrian ceasefire since 1974.
The Israeli Air Force has been striking Syrian military facilities, arms depots, airbases and naval sites to prevent heavy weapons, aircraft and other assets from falling into the hands of Islamist rebels. Also hit were facilities used to produce chemical weapons and precision missiles, and sites used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and Hezbollah to smuggle weapons into Lebanon. Reports suggest Israel hit 300 targets in two days.
Israel has also begun efforts to reach out to Syrian minorities, including Druze communities in southern Syria and Syrian Kurds.
The demilitarized zone was established in 1974 after the Yom Kippur War. Sunday’s move marked the first time that Israeli forces set up positions there. The army said the deployment is not intended to be permanent.
