Israel's interest is to have 'a peaceful border' with Syria: Netanyahu

WASHINGTON

Israel's interest is to have a "peaceful border" with Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.

"We want to make sure that the border area right next to our border is safe. We don't have terrorists, we don't have attacks,” Netanyahu said at a news conference along with US President Donald Trump in the state of Florida.

"And we also want to secure our Druze friends. And by the way, I think not only the Druze, but other minorities, especially the Christians, should be protected as well in Syria and throughout the Middle East," he added.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated a 1974 agreement with Syria.​​​​​​​

Israeli forces have carried out near-daily incursions in southern Syria in recent weeks, particularly in Quneitra governorate, conducting arrests, setting up checkpoints and destroying forested areas, actions that have fueled growing local anger toward Israel.

US-led security talks between Damascus and Tel Aviv have so far failed to yield results.

Israel seeks a new security agreement while Syria demands the Israeli withdrawal to pre-Dec. 8, 2024 lines and the restoration of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement — which Israeli leaders said is void until “order is restored in Syria.”

Al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.