Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to "take control" of the buffer zone that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria, CNN reports.
It would be the first time Israeli troops would be deployed in the buffer zone since a 1974 agreement that established the line of control between Israel and Syria, although in the past they have entered no man's land for short periods.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and annexed it in 1981. Most international powers, except the United States, recognize it as occupied Syrian territory.
"Together with the defense minister and with the full support of the cabinet, I directed the IDF yesterday to take control of the buffer zone and the dominant positions near it," Netanyahu said during a visit to the Golan Heights. "We will not allow any hostile force to settle on our border."
The Israel Defense Forces announced the deployment, saying it was done "to ensure the safety of Golan Heights communities and the citizens of Israel" after Syrian troops reportedly abandoned their positions. The army statement added that "the IDF is not interfering in internal events in Syria."
Netanyahu also said the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria was "a direct result" of Israel's military campaign against Iran and its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah. "This is a historic day in the history of the Middle East. Israel "is pursuing a policy of good neighborliness," he said.
(A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
