Syrian army chief demands Israeli retreatment
Date
1/20/2025 6:44:10 AM
(MENAFN) Abu Mohammad al-Julani, leader of the Syrian militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has called for Israeli forces to pull back from Syria and for UN peacekeepers to be deployed in the buffer zone. Al-Julani, who took control of Damascus last month after years of fighting against President Bashar Assad, stated that Israel’s recent advances in the Golan Heights were prompted by the presence of Iranian militias and Hezbollah, which he argues no longer exist in the region.
The new Syrian government, under HTS’s control, supports the idea of UN forces overseeing the buffer zone and insists that Israeli troops withdraw. Israel gained control of the Golan Heights in 1967 after defeating Syria and Egypt, and annexed the territory in 1981, a move not internationally recognized. The UN has traditionally monitored the area with the UNDOF mission.
As HTS advanced toward Damascus, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) moved further into the buffer zone and even beyond it, seizing strategic positions such as Mount Hermon. In December, Prime Minister Netanyahu visited the newly secured IDF position and unveiled a plan to increase the Israeli population in the Golan Heights.
MENAFN20012025000045015687ID1109108391
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.