Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces will continue to occupy strategic locations in Lebanon and Syria. Speaking at a graduation ceremony for combat officers, he stated, “We demand the complete disarmament of southern Syria under the new regime.” He used the Syrian Druze community in the south as a pretext.
Netanyahu emphasized that Israeli forces will remain in the Golan Heights and the buffer zone indefinitely to protect Israeli settlements and “counter any threats”. He threatened that Israel would not permit HTS-led forces under Syria’s new leadership or the Syrian army to advance south of Damascus.
On Lebanon, Netanyahu declared, “We are holding onto strategic positions along our northern border, inside Lebanon, until the Lebanese army and government fully comply with their commitments under the agreement.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed Netanyahu’s stance, stating, “We are closely monitoring the situation, particularly in Syria. We have vowed to prevent a return to the October 7 reality, and we will enforce this. A new reality exists in southern Syria, as Netanyahu outlined.”
Katz also reaffirmed that Israeli forces would take action against any perceived threats in the safe zone of southern Syria. He stressed Israel’s commitment to connect with regional allies, particularly the Druze community, and confirmed that Israeli forces would remain stationed in the Golan Heights and the buffer zone indefinitely to ensure the security of settlements.
The Israeli military entered the Golan buffer zone the day after the fall of the Bashar Al-Assad regime.
In Lebanon, after a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, Israeli forces reoccupied parts of the security belt, which they had withdrawn from 25 years ago. The army has established five military outposts just hundreds of meters from the security fence.
