Israeli Incursion of 9 km into Daraa Countryside

Israeli Incursion of 9 km into Daraa Countryside
December 18, 2024, 12:19 pm

هضبة الجولان/ أرشيفية

Israeli forces crossed the border and entered nine kilometers into the Daraa countryside in southern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Wednesday.

The observatory, which monitors developments in Syria, reported that the Israeli forces stormed the village of Koya and the historic Al-Wahda Dam near the Syrian-Jordanian border, establishing themselves in strategic positions and warning local residents to surrender their weapons.

The report indicated that these forces entered Battalion 74 in the vicinity of the village of Saida, located at the administrative border between Quneitra and Daraa provinces, marking a new breach in the southern Syria region. This military activity comes amid increasing tensions along the Syrian border with the occupied Golan Heights.

In the context of the evolving situation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces would remain positioned in a buffer zone along the Syrian border, particularly at the summit of Mount Hermon, until arrangements ensuring Israel's security are achieved.

Netanyahu elaborated on his remarks made yesterday from the summit, saying that this area has growing strategic importance for Israel's security, especially in light of recent events.

Netanyahu's office announced that he held a security meeting at Mount Hermon after Israel took control of a buffer zone monitored by the United Nations, separating Israeli and Syrian forces.

The office confirmed in its statement that Netanyahu assessed the security situation in collaboration with the Minister of Defense, the Chief of Staff, the head of the Northern Command, and the head of the internal security service (Shabak).

Commenting on these movements, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that he visited Netanyahu at the summit of Mount Hermon for the first time since Israeli forces were deployed there following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad. Katz confirmed that the Israeli presence at this summit enhances security and adds a dimension of surveillance and deterrence against Hezbollah strongholds in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, in addition to deterring opponents in Damascus.

Mount Hermon extends between Syria and Lebanon and is considered a strategic point dominating the Syrian Golan Heights, which Israel occupied in 1967 and annexed in a move recognized only by the United States.

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