Syrian militant leader demands Israeli withdrawal
Israeli troops that have advanced into Syria should withdraw and UN peacekeepers ought to deploy in the buffer zone, the head of the militants who took power in Damascus, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, has demanded.
Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, best known by his nom de guerre, is the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which seized power in Damascus last month after more than a decade of fighting against President Bashar Assad. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) used the opportunity to advance beyond their previous positions in the Golan Heights and seize the strategic Mount Hermon.
”Israel’s advance in the region was due to the presence of Iranian militias and Hezbollah,” al-Julani told Reuters on Thursday, arguing that this presence is no more.
The new Syrian government is ready to support the deployment of UN forces in the buffer zone and has called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Israel first gained control of the Golan Heights in 1967, after defeating Syria and Egypt in a six-day war. Damascus failed to retake the strategic region in 1973. West Jerusalem officially annexed the territory in 1981, although this move has not been internationally recognized. A buffer zone between the Israeli-controlled territory and Syria has long been manned by the UN Observation Mission (UNDOF).
As the HTS advanced on Damascus last month, the IDF moved into the buffer zone and in some instances advanced past it into Syrian territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the IDF position on Mt Hermon in mid-December, calling it “an exciting historical moment.” Within days, he announced a 40 million-shekel ($11 million) plan to double the Israeli population of the Golan Heights.
