Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to prepare to remain in control of Mount Hermon, a strategic height on Syrian territory that Israel seized earlier this week. The move was described as a temporary security measure following the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Katz instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to prepare for a winter deployment at the summit, citing the harsh weather conditions and the need to set up appropriate facilities for the soldiers. The IDF spokesman said that it is of immense security importance to maintain Israeli control over the summit.
The move has been met with condemnation from Egypt and other Arab nations. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war, and the territory is considered occupied Syrian land under international law. The IDF’s move into the buffer zone, which was established after the 1973 Middle East war, has been seen as a provocative step by many.
On Friday, Katz posted a photograph of himself and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the occupied Golan Heights, with the caption “Overlooking the Syrian peak of Mount Hermon, which returned to Israeli control after 51 years.” He described the moment as “exciting historical.” Netanyahu had earlier ordered the IDF to seize the buffer zone and control positions close to it, including the summit of Mt. Hermon.
