Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israeli forces will remain in a neutral zone on the Syrian side of the border, more specifically at the top of Mount Hermon, "until a situation is created that does not pose a threat to Israel's security."
Prime Minister Netanyahu made the announcement on Tuesday from the top of the snow-covered mountain, the highest in the region, which is located on the Syrian side of the border. This is likely the first time an Israeli leader has entered Syrian territory.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said he stood atop Mount Hermon 53 years ago as a soldier, but the area's importance to Israel's security has increased given recent developments.
Israel seized part of southern Syria along the border with the Golan Heights, previously annexed by the Jewish state, calling it a neutral zone, days after rebels ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad. The takeover of the area has been condemned with critics accusing Israel of violating a 1974 ceasefire and using the chaos in Syria to grab territory.
Prime Minister Netanyahu visited the neutral zone with Defense Minister Israel Katz, who said he instructed the Israeli army to deploy there by creating fortifications, indicating a long-term presence in the area.
"Mount Hermon is the eyes of the state of Israel to identify our enemies that are near and far," said Minister Katz.
Israeli forces have taken control of a demilitarized zone of approximately 400 square kilometers inside Syria. The neutral zone between Syria and the Golan Heights was established by the UN after the Middle East war of 1973. A UN peacekeeping force of about 1,100 troops has been present in the area since then.
Israel took control of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed them, a move not recognized by most of the international community. The summit of Mount Hermon is shared between the Golan Heights annexed by Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Only the United States recognizes Israel's control over the Golan Heights. (A2 Televizion)
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