The Israeli military said on Sunday it had been carrying out “attacks” in recent weeks on Mount Hermon in Syria, continuing a military campaign in Syria that has drawn international attention.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an observer of the war in Syria based in Britain, on Sunday also reported airstrikes around the Syrian capital, Damascus, saying they were caused by the Israeli army. The strikes targeted an ammunition depot used by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted by rebels last month, the observatory said. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the airstrikes.
Israel’s military presence in Syria, which it said on Sunday was aimed at “strengthening the protection of Israeli citizens,” has drawn accusations from the United Nations and other member states that Israel is violating a decades-old agreement to deploy its troops. in and out of the buffer zone between countries.
This raid comes days after the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Gideon Sa’ar, said that he has met with members of the UN peacekeeping unit on the border between Syria and Israel. The UN Disengagement Observer Force, known as UNDOF, was established by the Security Council in 1974 to maintain a ceasefire between Israeli and Syrian forces after the 1973 war and to oversee the safe zone established by the agreement.
After rebel forces in Syria last month suddenly overthrew the Assad regime, Israeli ground forces moved beyond the demilitarized zone, marking their first entry into the country in over a century and prompting UN Secretary-General António Guterres to denounce the violation of the – Israel. of the 1974 treaty.
Mr. Sa’ar said in a statement that “extremist armed groups” attacked soldiers in a protected area, violating the ceasefire agreement. UNDOF did not immediately respond to a request for comment on those claims.
Israel’s attack on Syria exacerbates an already difficult situation, as Syria’s new leadership tries to rebuild a nation devastated by more than a decade of civil war and gain international recognition.
Ahmed al-Shara, a rebel commander who led the coalition that toppled Mr al-Assad and has since taken over the country’s interim leadership, criticized the Israeli military’s actions in Syria in an interview with the New York Times and other news outlets in December. shortly after taking power. He said that Syria will continue to comply with the 1974 ceasefire agreement, and asked the international community to make sure that Israel follows it as well.
But Israel has repeatedly indicated that it plans to stay in Syria for as long as it deems necessary. When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Mount Hermon in December, which the Israeli army took over last month, he said he would stay in the country “until another arrangement is found that guarantees Israel’s security.”
His defense minister, Israel Katz, who accompanied the prime minister on the trip, said the presence of the Israeli army there “is a way to prevent the rebels in Damascus, who say they have a moderate face but are among the extremist Islamic groups.”
Mr al-Shara’s rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, once affiliated with Al Qaeda but split from this group in 2017. It has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Nations and others, but other countries have said they may consider removing the designation. They say the decision will depend on whether there is a democratic transition in Syria and whether the rebel leaders show respect for the minority groups.
In recent weeks, Mr al-Shara has sought to portray himself as a diplomat focused on rebuilding his country, meeting with officials from the United States and those from European and Middle Eastern countries.
There are indications that the new Syrian government will also accept relations with Israel. The newly appointed governor of Damascus, Maher Marwan, in an NPR interview in late December, called on the United States to use its influence over Israel to encourage the establishment of diplomatic relations.
At the moment, however, Israel seems to be more focused on the military.
In addition to the entry of Israeli ground forces into Syria, the Israeli military has carried out heavy attacks there, war monitors said, before and after the fall of Mr al-Assad. In a report on Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had reported more than 370 Israeli attacks in Syria last year, most of which occurred in recent weeks.
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