Israel Sees Peril And Opportunity As It Advances On Syrian Buffer Zone | rssama.com

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The dramatic downfall of Syrian President Bashar Assad presents imaginable danger, and an opening, for neighboring Israel.

After fighting wars connected aggregate fronts for months, Israel is now concerned that unrest successful Syria could spill complete into its territory. Israel besides views nan extremity of nan Assad authorities arsenic a chance to disrupt Iran’s expertise to smuggle weapons done Syria to nan Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The Israeli subject complete nan play began seizing power of a demilitarized buffer area successful Syria created arsenic portion of a 1974 ceasefire betwixt nan countries. It said nan move was impermanent and meant to unafraid its border.

But nan incursion sparked condemnation, pinch critics accusing Israel of violating nan ceasefire and perchance exploiting nan chaos successful Syria for a onshore grab. Israel still controls nan Golan Heights that it captured from Syria during nan 1967 Mideast warfare and later annexed — a move not recognized by astir of nan world community.

Where are nan Israeli troops?

Israeli soldiers guidelines by tanks adjacent nan separator pinch Syria connected Dec. 9, 2024, successful occupied Golan Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his subject to temporarily return power of a buffer area that was created arsenic portion of a 1974 ceasefire woody betwixt nan 2 countries.

Amir Levy via Getty Images

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli forces were moving to power a astir 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) demilitarized buffer area successful Syrian territory. The buffer area betwixt Syria and nan Israeli-controlled Golan Heights was created by nan U.N. aft nan 1973 Mideast war. A U.N. unit of astir 1,100 troops has patrolled nan area since then.

On a sojourn Sunday to a Golan Heights hilltop overlooking Syria, Netanyahu said that because Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, Israel’s move into nan buffer area was basal arsenic a “temporary protect position.”

“The peacekeepers astatine (the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, aliases UNDOF) informed nan Israeli counterparts that these actions would represent a usurpation of nan 1974 disengagement agreement, that location should beryllium nary subject forces aliases activities successful nan area of separation,” said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. He added that nan buffer area was calm and UNDOF peacekeepers remained successful their position. The Security Council is scheduled to meet for typical consultations called by Russia to talk nan buffer area issue.

The rebels who ousted Assad and now power overmuch of Syria are led by a erstwhile elder al-Qaida militant, though he severed ties pinch nan extremist group years agone and has promised typical authorities and belief tolerance.

On Monday evening, Netanyahu said Assad’s autumn is nan “direct consequence of nan dense blows we landed connected Hamas, connected Hezbollah and connected Iran.” He added that Israel would inhabit nan acme of Mount Hermon, which is wrong nan buffer area connected nan Syria-Lebanon border, and astatine 2,814 meters (9,232 feet) is nan highest highest successful nan eastbound Mediterranean coast.

Israel has sent some crushed and aerial troops into nan buffer zone, including connected nan Syrian broadside of snow-dusted Mount Hermon, which is divided betwixt nan Golan Heights, Lebanon, and Syria. Only nan United States recognizes Israel’s power of nan Golan Heights.

How agelong will Israeli troops beryllium successful nan buffer zone?

Smoke billows connected nan outskirts of nan Syrian superior of Damascus pursuing Israeli airstrikes connected Dec. 9, 2024. Israel conducted much than 100 airstrikes connected subject targets successful Syria that day.

Aaref Watad/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli troops began moving into nan buffer area Saturday. Also connected Saturday, equipped men attacked U.N. forces adjacent nan separator pinch Israel, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.

“(The Israeli military) took targeted and impermanent power of definite areas adjacent nan separator to forestall an Oct. 7 script from Syria,” Saar said, referring to Hamas’ astonishment 2023 onslaught into Israel from nan Gaza Strip.

Many successful nan region condemned nan move. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry accused Israel of “exploiting nan powerfulness vacuum … to inhabit much Syrian territories and create a fait accompli successful usurpation of world law.”

This isn’t nan first clip Israel has entered nan buffer area this year.

An Associated Press study past period examining outer imagery recovered that Israel had been moving connected a building project, perchance a caller road, on nan separator pinch Syria from arsenic early arsenic July, and had successful immoderate cases entered nan buffer area during construction. Following nan AP report, U.N. forces warned that the Israeli subject has committed “severe violations” of its ceasefire woody pinch Syria.

Is Israel invading Syria?

People be a rally celebrating nan autumn of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's authorities successful nan Israeli-occupied Golan Heights municipality of Majdal Shams, connected Dec. 8, 2024.

Matias Delacroix via Associated Press

Israeli governmental and subject leaders person stressed that nan seizure of nan buffer area is impermanent and not a prelude to entering different parts of Syrian territory.

“The scheme astatine nan infinitesimal is that this is simply a impermanent measurement to make judge stableness is kept successful nan border, making judge nan buffer area is kept, and nan U.N. forces tin stay,” said a subject official, who said connected information of anonymity successful statement pinch subject guidelines.

The charismatic noted that successful 2014, U.N. peacekeepers fled nan buffer zone aft al-Qaida-linked Syrian rebels attacked their encampments. After equipped men attacked U.N. forces complete nan weekend, Israel wanted to guarantee nan business did not repetition itself, nan charismatic said.

Israel isn’t presently trying to alteration nan separator aliases hole for an penetration into Syria, said Carmit Valensi, a elder interrogator astatine nan Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think-tank.

“Right now, it’s a tactical operation, not a semipermanent strategy, successful consequence to nan move business successful Syria,” she said. With nan illness of nan Syrian army, Israel wants to protect its borders until nan business stabilizes, she said.

What are Israel’s interests?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a property convention successful Jerusalem connected Dec. 9, 2024. Netanyahu said that nan occupied Golan Heights would stay Israeli "for eternity," days aft ordering troops to beforehand connected a Syrian buffer area pursuing nan autumn of President Bashar al-Assad.

Maya Alleruzzo/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Israel says its contiguous extremity is to forestall nan instability successful Syria from spreading into nan separator region.

Defense Minister Israel Katz connected Monday laid retired Israel’s plans for nan separator area. He said that aft completing nan takeover of nan buffer zone, Israel would create a “security zone” beyond it by destroying dense artillery crossed Syria and preventing Iran from smuggling weapons done Syria into Lebanon.

Foreign Minister Saar said Monday that Israel has struck aggregate sites holding chemic weapons and long-range missiles to forestall them from falling into nan hands of dispute actors. Saar did not opportunity erstwhile nan strikes occurred. Analysts said Israel is apt to proceed carrying retired strikes against targets crossed Syria.

Israel is readying outreach to Syria’s Druze population, a close-knit belief number that besides lives successful Israel, Jordan and Lebanon and has maintained immoderate ties crossed borders.

Israel is besides trying to unfastened lines of connection pinch Syrian rebel groups, to thief guarantee Iranian-backed factions don’t reclaim immoderate territory, according to Valensi.

For galore years, Israel softly provided food, medicine, clothing and different assistance to war-ravaged confederate Syria done “Operation Good Neighbor,” which ended successful 2018. More than 4,000 wounded and sick Syrians received aesculapian curen successful Israel aliases successful Israeli section hospitals, and those non-diplomatic connections could now beryllium crucial.

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Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer contributed from nan United Nations.

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