Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the 1974 border agreement with Syria has “collapsed”, adding that he had ordered the Israeli army to seize the buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for Gaza war crimes, made the announcement during a visit to the Israel-Syria border area.
The prime minister said he had “directed the (military) yesterday to seize the buffer zone and the commanding positions nearby. We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border”.
“We are acting first and foremost to protect our border,” he said. “This area has been controlled for nearly 50 years by a buffer zone agreed upon in 1974, the Separation of forces Agreement. This agreement has collapsed, the Syrian soldiers have abandoned their positions.”
A United Nations-patrolled buffer zone, which lies between the occupied Golan Heights and the Quneitra province, was created to separate the Israeli and Syrian military forces.
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was established to monitor the ceasefire and ensure both side adhere to the agreement. UNDOF troops have been stationed in the buffer zone since 1974.
On Sunday, Netanyahu also claimed credit for the chain of events that led to the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
“This is a historic day in the history of the Middle East,” he said, according to Israeli media report
s. “The Assad regime is a central link in Iran’s axis of evil – this regime has fallen.”
“This is a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, the main supporters of the Assad regime,” Netanyahu said.
“This has created a chain reaction throughout the Middle East of all those who want to be free from this oppressive and tyrannical regime,” Netanyahu added, saying that the flight of Assad from Syria brought along “new opportunities”.
He said his country would follow a “good neighbour” policy and offer humanitarian aid to Syrian civilians while “avoiding” taking an active role in the internal events.
“Hundreds of Syrian children were born here in Israel,” he said, adding that his country was extending a hand to peace with Druze, Kurds, Christians and Muslims in Syria.
Over the past two years, Israel has conducted numerous attacks on Syria, claiming to be targeting Iranian military assets as well as Hezbollah and other Iran-back groups in the country.
The strikes have primarily focused on areas around Damascus, Homs, Aleppo, and the Quneitra province, sometimes disrupting key infrastructure and causing casualties, including several civilian deaths. ...CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
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