JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli forces have seized portions of Syrian-controlled territory in the Golan Heights following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the move on Sunday, December 8, 2024, describing it as a preemptive measure to secure Israel’s border and prevent hostile forces from taking hold in the region.
The Israeli military has taken control of a buffer zone established under the 1974 ceasefire agreement between Syria and Israel.
Netanyahu justified the action, stating that the agreement had disintegrated as Syrian forces abandoned their positions amid a rapid opposition advance that toppled Assad’s government.
“We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border,” Netanyahu declared.
The Golan Heights, partially occupied and annexed by Israel after the 1967 war, remains internationally recognised—except by the United States—as Syrian territory.
In response to the Israeli takeover, the military issued an urgent warning to residents in five Syrian villages—Ofaniya, Quneitra, al-Hamidiyah, Samdaniya al-Gharbiyya, and al-Qahtaniyah—advising them to remain indoors.
Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, reassured villagers on social media, saying, “The fighting in your area is forcing the IDF to act and we do not intend to harm you.”
Local Impact and Reactions
In the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights, agricultural areas were declared closed military zones, and some schools transitioned to online learning due to fears of unrest.
Meanwhile, Syrians in Damascus erupted in celebration as opposition forces declared victory, marking the end of the Assad family’s 50-year rule.
Crowds flooded the streets, waving the revolutionary flag and firing celebratory gunshots, in scenes reminiscent of the Arab Spring.
Netanyahu hailed the fall of Assad as an “historic day,” crediting Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon as pivotal in weakening Assad’s allies.
Israeli Airstrikes in Syria
As the situation in Syria rapidly evolved, Israeli air forces launched strikes on weapons depots in southern Syria and Damascus.
These strikes, Israeli officials say, were aimed at preventing advanced weaponry from falling into the hands of opposition groups and local factions.
“We attacked ammunition depots in southern Syria and in the Damascus airport area for fears they might fall into the hands of armed groups and local factions,” an unnamed Israeli security official told the Israeli public broadcaster KAN.
Targets included stockpiles of surface-to-surface missiles and other weaponry, according to Israeli media outlets.
In Damascus, explosions engulfed military intelligence and customs headquarters in the Kafr Sousa district, with fuel depots reportedly among the sites hit.
Regional security sources confirmed to Reuters that Israel carried out the strikes.
These attacks add to Israel’s long-standing strategy of targeting weapons shipments and military installations in Syria to counter threats from Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias.
Strategic Implications
Speaking from the Lebanese-Syrian border, Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi highlighted how Israel is leveraging the power vacuum in Syria to its advantage.
“What is happening is certainly to the benefit of the Israeli military and government,” Basravi said.
“They are getting what they have said they wanted all along: weaker neighbours, so they can push their regional agenda.”
The Israeli government’s actions in the Golan Heights and beyond signal a broader strategy to consolidate territorial security and curb regional threats.
Uncertainty for Syria’s Future
With Assad’s regime gone, Syria faces an uncertain future.
The power shift raises questions about governance, stability, and the fate of the country’s fractured population after nearly 14 years of war.
For now, Israel’s actions in the Golan Heights and its strikes in Damascus underscore its intent to shape the evolving dynamics in Syria, ensuring that the turmoil does not spill over its borders.
The international community remains divided, with calls for restraint and respect for Syrian sovereignty amid the ongoing conflict.
