TEL AVIV, April 20. /TASS/. Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli army Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visited Israel-controlled areas in Syria and vowed that Israel will retain its military presence there, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
"This area is a vital area. We entered it following the collapse of Syria, and that’s why we are holding key positions and are on the front lines, to defend ourselves in the best possible way. From this location, you can see all those positioned along this ridge — it’s a strategic point," said while talking to Israeli officers and soldiers.
"We don’t know how things will develop here, but our presence has significant security importance. IDF troops will continue to operate in the security area and protect the residents from any threat," he vowed.
Armed opposition units in Syria launched a large-scale offensive on government troops in the Aleppo and Idlib governorates in late November 2024. On December 8, they entered Damascus, while President Bashar Assad stepped down and fled the country. On the same day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officially announced the deployment of forces in the demilitarized zone separating the Golan Heights, which belong to Israel, and Syria. Later in the day, the Israeli military took control over the eastern part of Mount Hermon that lies within Syria, part of the Golan Heights.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a purely defensive step to thwart potential threats from Syria’s territory. However, he stressed that Israel will stay in this area as long as it takes to ensure security of its border.