Israel has seemingly changed its strategy in Syria following a statement by Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Syria’s main rebel group that seized Damascus earlier this month and toppled the Assad regime, ending the Syria civil war.
(File)
Syria civil war: Israel, which launched major onslaught in Syria in the immediate aftermath of the toppling of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has seemingly changed its strategy in the region following a statement by Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Syriaâs main rebel group that seized Damascus earlier this month and toppled the Assad regime.
What did al-Julani say?
Following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, HTS chief Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, issued a statement on the future of Syriaâs relationship with Israel, asserting that his group has âno intention to engage in a conflict with Israelâ, and the Jewish nation, âno longer has any reasonâ to continue its attacks or intervene in Syriaâs affairs.
âIsrael wonât intervene in Syriaâ
Meanwhile, days after al-Julaniâs statement, Herzi Halevi, the chief Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), said Israel will not intervene in Syria, but asserted that the countryâs focus will remain preventing âterrorist elementsâ from taking root in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
In a video on Saturday, the Israeli military chief, who visited Golan Heights to assess the situation with senior military officials, was seen talking to commanders. Halevi said Israel had occupied the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon for the past week to âprotectâ its borders, while reiterating the countryâs stance that its occupation was âtemporaryâ.
âThere was once a hostile country here whose army has been defeated. There is a danger that terrorist elements arrive here, and we are actively working to prevent them from settling in the area,â the IDF chief said. He also asserted that Israel was ânot interfering in what is happening in Syriaâ, and his country âhas no intention to control Syriaâ.
Israel captures Mount Hermon
Halevi comments came after Israel occupied the UN-monitored buffer zone, designated as a demilitarised zone since 1974. Israeli forces have seized a Syrian army checkpoint and deployed troops to the summit of Mount Hermon, the highest point in the region.
Almost immediately after Assadâs fall, the IDF launched major attack is Syria, razing its military infrastructure to the ground, and carried out a ground operation to capture strategic areas, including Mount Hermon, Syriaâs tallest peak. The seizure of Mount Hermon is being described by many experts as Israelâs âbiggest victoryâ, even though Tel Aviv has asserted its occupation is temporary and the Israeli army will withdrawn from the region once its objectives are fulfilled.
Arab nations condemn Israelâs actions
Israelâs military actions in Syria have been heavily criticised by Arab nations, who have called on the international community to respect Syriaâs sovereignty.
While Israel has claimed that its its move into Syria is limited to the buffer zone and not a permanent occupation, several reports in the Israeli media have quoted sources as saying that Israeli forces could be deployed in the buffer zone for a long time. Notably, Israel already occupies the Golan Heights region, a strategic plateau in southwestern Syria adjoining Mount Hermon.
Golan Heights was captured by Israel in the 1967 war, and the Jewish nation has occupied the area ever since, even though the occupation has been deemed illegal under international law, and no major country, except the United States, recognises Israelâs claim to the region.