Netanyahu visit to southern Syria draws fresh sovereignty dispute
Israel’s prime minister visited troops on Mount Hermon as Damascus condemned the presence of Israeli forces in a security zone beyond the former UN-patrolled buffer area.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has visited Israeli troops on Mount Hermon in an Israeli-held area of southern Syria, accompanied by Defence Minister Israel Katz. The visit drew renewed condemnation from Damascus, which described it as a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry called Netanyahu’s entry and tour illegal, provocative and contrary to international law. The ministry said the visit represented a “blatant violation” of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic.
Netanyahu said Israel would not allow a “terrorist army” to establish itself on its border. He also claimed Iran’s government was nearing collapse and referred to the eventual collapse of Iran-backed armed groups across the Middle East.
Katz said Israeli forces would remain in the security zone, addressing Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in a video message filmed on Mount Hermon. He also said Israel could strike Iran again if necessary, claims that were not independently established in the supplied material.
Israeli troops have been stationed in the area since moving beyond the former UN-patrolled buffer zone after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The buffer zone had separated Israeli and Syrian forces near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights since 1974.
Israel says it is seeking a broader demilitarised area and has conducted repeated strikes and incursions in Syria. Netanyahu has reportedly visited troops in the area twice previously, while Katz visited them two weeks earlier.
