Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops to prepare to remain on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights during the winter to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens.
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“Following an assessment of the security situation conducted yesterday under the chairmanship of Defense Minister Israel Katz and with the participation of Chief of Staff Major General Herzi Halevi and other commanders, the Defense Minister instructed the IDF to prepare for the presence of IDF soldiers on the heights of Hermon during the winter months due to the situation in Syria,” the press service of the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
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Katz also noted that this is a necessary measure to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens. He emphasized that due to severe weather conditions on the mountain peak, it is necessary to place appropriate equipment and conduct special training for troops.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the agreement on disengagement of forces with Syria in the Golan Heights, reached shortly after the Yom Kippur War of 1973, has become invalid because the Syrian military has abandoned its positions. The Prime Minister emphasized that, together with the Minister of Defense and with the full support of the Cabinet of Ministers, he ordered the IDF to occupy the demarcation zone and the positions controlling it.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the disengagement agreement with Syria in the Golan Heights, reached shortly after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, has become invalid because the Syrian military has abandoned its positions. The Prime Minister emphasized that, together with the Minister of Defense and with the full support of the Cabinet of Ministers, he ordered the IDF to occupy the demarcation zone and the positions controlling it.
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Israel is actively strengthening its defenses in the Golan Heights amid the resignation of Bashar al-Assad from the presidency of Syria and the takeover of large parts of the country by armed opposition forces.
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The Golan Heights were part of Syria until 1967. During the Six-Day War, Israeli troops occupied this territory; following the Yom Kippur War (1973), the parties entered into an agreement on a truce and separation of troops. In 1974, UN peacekeeping posts appeared in the Golan Heights. The border line on the Syrian side is called “Bravo”, and on the Israeli side there is the “Alpha” line.
