IDF presence in Syria of ‘immense importance,’ Netanyahu tells troops during visit

Israel’s ongoing presence inside Syria is of “immense importance,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told troops during a Wednesday visit to an outpost in the IDF-held buffer zone there. The visit, which included several top security and diplomatic officials, came as talks between Jerusalem and Damascus over a security agreement for southern Syria have stalled, with a senior Israeli official telling The Times of Israel on Wednesday that such a deal is “not in the cards right now.”

Israel is reportedly insisting on remaining deployed to the nine posts it seized after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, unless the new ruling government agrees to a full peace deal and normalization. “We attach immense importance to our capability here, both defensive and offensive,” Netanyahu told the troops during his visit, adding that the purpose includes “safeguarding our Druze allies, and especially safeguarding the State of Israel and its northern border opposite the Golan Heights.”

“This is a mission that can develop at any moment, but we are counting on you,” he said. Reacting to the visit, Syria said it “condemns [it] in the strongest terms,” calling it “illegal,” and saying it considers the IDF deployment in the south of the country “a serious violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” (Read More)