Israel’s army chief vows in Syria to deter threats to border

Israel's army chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, emphasized during a visit to an Israeli-occupied security zone in southern Syria that the military would not tolerate any threats to the border. He stated that the army is closely monitoring developments on the Syrian front and will deploy its operational capabilities as needed to maintain security.

For the past two years, Israeli forces have been stationed in a security zone in southern Syria, occupying a buffer zone that was previously under UN control and separated Israeli and Syrian forces along the Golan Heights since 1974. General Zamir reiterated that Israel cannot afford to relax its guard on any active war fronts, including Syria, as the situation remains volatile and escalation can occur in any region.

The visit came after Israel conducted airstrikes on the Abu Duhur air base in Idlib province, accusing Syria of violating an agreement by allowing Turkish troops to operate there. Israel warned Syria about the potential threat such a deployment posed to its security, but Syria disregarded these concerns. The US ambassador to Turkey condemned the strikes, labeling them as an "unnecessary escalation."

Syria's foreign ministry strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes, calling them an "unjustified act of aggression" and urging the UN Security Council to take action. Despite tensions between the two nations, Israel and Syria's new authorities have engaged in several rounds of direct talks and agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism.

However, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has stated that Israel plans to maintain its troops in Syria. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and later annexed the area, a move not recognized by the international community except for the United States and Colombia.