Netanyahu visits Israeli-occupied Syrian territory to review army deployment

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Israeli-occupied Syrian territory on Tuesday for a security assessment there, according to his office.

A statement released by his office said Netanyahu met with his defense minister, army chief of staff, and other officials on the peak of Hermon Mount (Jabal al-Sheikh) on the Syrian side of the border.

“The prime minister reviewed the IDF (army) deployment in the area and set guidelines for the future,” the statement said.

The area is part of the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Middle East War.

Netanyahu’s visit came after the Tel Aviv District Court approved his request to delay his scheduled appearance on Tuesday to testify in his corruption trial.

Netanyahu’s office denied reports early Tuesday that he had traveled to Egypt to finalize a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap deal with Hamas.

On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Katz ordered the army to prepare for an extended presence on Mount Hermon during winter.

According to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, Katz emphasized the strategic importance of maintaining a presence on the 2,800-meter peak, which overlooks Damascus.

Israel has intensified airstrikes across Syria in recent days, targeting military sites, following the Dec. 8 ousting of the Bashar Assad regime by anti-regime groups, in a clear violation of Syrian sovereignty.

Israel also declared the collapse of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Syria, which had established a demilitarized buffer zone in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Israeli military has since deployed forces into the buffer zone, a move condemned by the UN and several Arab nations.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio