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Israel captures Syrian Hermon; Netanyahu: ‘This is a historic day’
Israeli Air Force commandos captured the highest peak of Mount Hermon on the Syrian side, sources told Ynet on Sunday.
According to reports, fighters from the elite Shaldag Unit secured the strategic summit as part of an operation to bolster the Israeli military’s control in the area. The peak offers a commanding view and firing range over other ridges of Mount Hermon, making it a critical asset for observation and defense.
Earlier, Saudi outlet Al Hadath reported that Israeli forces have seized control of the Jabal al-Sheikh outpost on Mount Hermon in Syria.
The report also claimed that Israeli forces have taken over sites in the demilitarized zone along the 1974 disengagement line between Israel and Syria.
For the first time since the collapse of the Assad regime, Israeli Air Force jets launched a wave of strikes across Syria, targeting military installations, according to various reports. The attacks included strikes on the Al Mazzeh military airport in Damascus, the Halhala region in southern Syria—home to a major airport—and rural areas in Daraa and Sweida provinces.
The Voice of the Capital, a Syrian opposition-affiliated outlet, reported that Israel is conducting systematic attacks on military brigades and air defense systems formerly operated by the Assad regime. The site reported that “Israel is systematically destroying all brigades, battalions, missile depots, and weapons development facilities that could threaten its security.”
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Foreign reports also indicated that Israeli strikes over the weekend targeted advanced weapons stockpiles, production facilities and a chemical weapons depot near Damascus. An unnamed Syrian opposition source claimed that additional targets are expected to be destroyed imminently.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Mount Bental area in the Golan Heights near the border on Sunday morning. Accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz, Netanyahu received a briefing from Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin.
“This is a historic day in the annals of the Middle East,” Netanyahu declared. “The Assad regime is a central link in Iran’s axis of evil, and this regime has fallen. This is a direct result of the blows we delivered to Iran and Hezbollah, the primary supporters of Assad’s regime. This has created a chain reaction throughout the Middle East among those seeking to free themselves from this oppressive and tyrannical regime.”
Netanyahu added that while the developments present significant opportunities for Israel, they are not without risks. “We are first and foremost acting to secure our borders. This area was defined for nearly 50 years as a buffer zone under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, which has now collapsed. Syrian forces have abandoned their posts.”
He stated: “Together with the defense minister, and with full backing from the cabinet, I instructed the IDF yesterday to take control of the buffer zone and the nearby dominant positions. We will not allow any hostile force to establish a presence on our border. At the same time, we are pursuing a policy of good neighborliness, the same approach we maintained when we set up a field hospital here that treated thousands of Syrians injured during the civil war. Hundreds of Syrian children were born here in Israel.”
In response to the escalating conflict, the IDF announced Sunday that it had reinforced its presence in the demilitarized buffer zone near the Golan Heights to prevent potential incursions into Israeli territory. “The IDF is not intervening in the events in Syria but will act as necessary to protect the State of Israel and its citizens,” the army said in a statement.
The IDF also issued warnings to rebel forces occupying parts of the Syrian Golan Heights, urging them not to cross the Alpha Line into the demilitarized zone. Concurrently, the Northern Command has elevated its alert level and activated emergency measures to bolster Golan Heights defenses against potential threats from the east.
Defense Minister Katz, speaking from the Golan Heights, said: “The prime minister and I, with Cabinet approval, directed the IDF to take control of the buffer zone and strategic positions to ensure the safety of all Israeli communities in the Golan Heights—Jewish and Druze alike—so that they are not exposed to threats from across the border.”
Hezbollah withdraws from Syria amid rebel gains
Security sources in Lebanon reported that Hezbollah, a key ally of the ousted Assad regime, has withdrawn its forces from Syria. Syrian military sources told Reuters that Hezbollah troops evacuated from al-Qusayr, a strategic city in Homs province, shortly before it fell to rebel forces.
At least 150 armored vehicles carrying hundreds of Hezbollah fighters reportedly left al-Qusayr in stages. The city, which Hezbollah had controlled since 2013, served as a key route for the movement of weapons and fighters between Syria and Lebanon.
The developments highlight growing instability in southern Syria, with Israel appearing to intensify its efforts to neutralize security threats in the region as the conflict in Syria evolves.
Source. ynetnews.com