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By: JNS Staff
During a visit to the Syrian side of Mount Hermon on Tuesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces will remain in the area indefinitely.
“The IDF will remain at the summit of the Hermon and the security zone indefinitely to ensure the security of the communities of the Golan Heights and the north, and all the residents of Israel,” Katz said during a tour of an army post at the Mount Hermon summit where he conducted a security assessment with senior officers and spoke with IDF personnel, according to his office.
Katz emphasized Israel’s commitment to security, including engagement with local Druze populations, and stated that the military will act against any threats.
Israel had previously described its takeover of the zone as a temporary measure to protect against hostile elements following the fall of the Assad regime last month, but Katz reinforced that the IDF will remain in the area long-term to ensure stability.
IDF troops on Syrian side of Golan preparing for harsh winter
The Israel Defense Forces is expanding infrastructure for troops serving on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights amid extreme cold weather in the area, the military announced on Tuesday afternoon.
IDF Northern Command and the military’s Technological and Logistics Directorate, working in cooperation with the Defense Ministry, provided soldiers with “equipment that can withstand various weather conditions, including temporary structures with an additional layer of insulation, heating equipment, generators and a water heating system,” according to the military.
The IDF also erected a medical building in the Golan, as well as kitchens to prepare hot food and a dining room.
In addition, Israeli troops serving in the northern border area received hand warmers, winter coats and boots, the IDF revealed on Tuesday.
Late last month, Hebrew media reported that the IDF was preparing for a prolonged stay in Syrian territory, at least until the end of winter.
Since the fall of Syria’s Assad regime on Oct. 8, Israeli troops have taken up positions inside and beyond the Syrian buffer zone, including the strategic Syrian side of Mount Hermon. The Israeli Air Force has also conducted many strikes on assets of the former Assad regime army.
The Technological and Logistics Directorate has reportedly opened new routes to the peak of Mount Hermon and has been transporting tons of construction materials and equipment to the military outposts located at the top to further establish IDF control over the commanding terrain.
The military revealed earlier this month that troops had confiscated more than 3,000 weapons and other gear belonging to the former Syrian Armed Forces since the fall of the Assad regime.
Among the assets seized were firearms, anti-tank missiles and RPG systems, mortar shells, explosive devices, observation equipment and two tanks.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s de facto leader, who is also known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, on Jan. 16 reiterated his call for the IDF to fully withdraw from the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, accusing the Israeli government of endangering “the entire region.”
The Syrian leader told the Reuters agency that “Israel’s advance in the region was due to the presence of Iranian militias and Hezbollah.”
(JNS.org)
