Netanyahu claims unlawful occupation of Syrian soil is ‘forever’

(MENAFN) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday that the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Six-Day War, will "forever be an inseparable part" of Israel. This statement came after Israel moved troops and tanks into a buffer zone along the Golan, previously controlled by UN peacekeepers under a 1974 agreement with Syria. Netanyahu emphasized the strategic importance of the region, referencing Israel's longstanding control over the territory, which was annexed unilaterally in 1981 in a move considered illegal by most of the international community, except for the U.S.

On Sunday, following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and his departure to Russia, Israeli forces advanced beyond the agreed buffer zone into Syria. Defense Minister Israel Katz described this operation as a step to establish a new "security area" free of "heavy strategic weapons and terrorist infrastructure." Israel's actions have sparked criticism from neighboring countries. Qatar and Egypt condemned the move as a violation of Syria's sovereignty and international law, accusing Israel of exploiting the power vacuum in Damascus to seize more land.

The Golan Heights, home to around 20,000 Jewish settlers and a significant Syrian Druze population, remains a contentious area under international scrutiny due to its disputed status and Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law.

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