Israeli Military Prepares for Winter Deployment on Mount Hermon Border Peak

The defense minister of Israel has issued directives for military forces to get ready for a winter presence on the summit of Mount Hermon. This elevated point is positioned along the boundary separating Syria, Lebanon, and a UN demilitarised buffer zone located within the Golan Heights. This directive follows Israel’s assumption of control over the aforementioned zone on December 8, subsequent to the collapse of the government led by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A statement released by the office of Defense Minister Israel Katz indicated that “due to what is happening in Syria, there is enormous security importance to our holding on to the peak”. Minister Katz shared an image on X depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu observing through binoculars, accompanied by the caption: “Overlooking the Syrian peak of Mount Hermon, which returned to Israeli control after 51 years.” The United Nations has urged Israel to pull back from the buffer zone, which lies between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed in a statement that he was “deeply concerned by the recent and extensive violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. The UN has stated that Israel is contravening a 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria, which created the buffer zone. Israel, conversely, has asserted that the 1974 disengagement agreement “collapsed” following the overthrow of the Syrian government. The highest point of Mount Hermon is situated on the border between Syria and Lebanon. A United Nations base located close to the summit falls within the buffer zone. The Golan Heights constitutes a plateau positioned approximately 60 kilometers (40 miles) to the southwest of Damascus. Israel captured this territory from Syria during the final phase of the 1967 Six-Day War and formally annexed it in 1981. This annexation has not received international recognition, though the United States unilaterally acknowledged it in 2019. Following the overthrow of the Assad government by rebel forces in Syria, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took control of the buffer zone and established new positions across the Golan Heights, encompassing the peak of Mount Hermon. The communication from Katz’s office stated that “everything must be done to ensure the IDF’s readiness on site in order to allow the fighters to stay there in the severe weather conditions”. Guterres declared on Thursday that the 1974 agreement “remains in force” and denounced any actions that contradict it. He urged the involved parties to fulfill their commitments, specifically “by ending all unauthorised presence in the area of separation”. Furthermore, Guterres conveyed that he was “particularly concerned” regarding the numerous Israeli airstrikes carried out at various sites in Syria. The IDF reported that its air force and navy executed over 350 strikes during the current week, aimed at Syrian military assets. Israel asserted that its actions were intended to prevent weaponry from falling “into the hands of extremists”. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved.