TEL AVIV, December 9. /TASS/. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) gained control of additional areas in a buffer zone on the border with Syria last night, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed.
"Last night, the IDF captured more points in the buffer zone [on the border] with Syria," he stated, as quoted by the Ynet news outlet.
Katz also reported that he had ordered the IDF to take immediate action in Syria to establish a security zone devoid of heavy strategic weapons and terrorist infrastructure that could pose a threat to Israel.
The Israeli defense chief added that he had issued orders to prevent the resumption of weapons smuggling from Iran to Lebanon through Syria, as well as to take action to destroy heavy strategic weapons stationed in Syria, including air defense systems, surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, and long-range missiles.
On November 27, Syria’s armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on the positions of government forces in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib. By the evening of December 7, President Bashar Assad’s opponents had seized several large cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, and Homs. On December 8, they entered the Syrian capital, Damascus, while the army withdrew from the city. Assad resigned as president and left the country following intra-Syrian talks.
On the morning of December 8, the Israeli army declared the deployment of its forces in a buffer zone on the border with Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained that the move stemmed from the recent events in the neighboring country and was a temporary defensive measure.
Golan Heights
The Golan Heights, which had belonged to Syria since 1944, were seized by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1981, the Israeli parliament passed a law unilaterally declaring sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The UN Security Council declared the annexation null and void in its Resolution 497 on December 17, 1981.