The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, visited this Wednesday the Israeli troops in southern Syria, at the summit of Mount Hermon, where he declared absolute military control over vast areas of the Middle East. Accompanied by the Defense Minister, Israel Katz, Netanyahu stated that Tel Aviv holds a position of geographical and military dominance that extends from the top of Hermon to the Yarmouk river and the Mediterranean coast, rejecting the establishment of adversarial armed groups along the entire adjacent strip.
The head of the Israeli executive framed the situation as an operational result of the so-called "War of Redemption," the term used for the military intervention triggered after the October 7, 2023 attacks carried out by Hamas. Israel Katz also directed direct warnings to the Syrian leadership, located 35 kilometers from that position, reiterating that Israeli forces remain in the security zone and will not leave the location.
Netanyahu reiterated that Israel's security strategy maintains as a priority goal stopping the military influence networks led by Iran, considering that the leadership in Tehran faces strong operational and political vulnerabilities and that the designated regional "axis" of allies is in a phase of disintegration. The statement follows air campaigns initiated on February 28, carried out in coordination with Washington against Iranian targets.
Israeli forces have held military positions in southern Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, with Tel Aviv justifying the creation of a buffer strip as a "security zone." The new administration in Damascus has classified the incursions and bombings as violations of Syrian sovereignty. The military prominence occurs just weeks before the Israeli legislative elections scheduled for October 27, in a context of Netanyahu fighting to continue his governing project.
