After Buffer Zone, 'Israel' Occupies Syrian Mount Hermon

By Al Mayadeen English

Israeli media say Israeli forces took control of the highest point in the Hermon Mountain inside Syrian territory.

The Israeli military occupied Syria’s Mount Hermon with Israeli occupation forces advancing several kilometers into the Syrian Golan, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

The media said Israeli forces took control of the highest point in the Hermon Mountain inside Syrian territory, pointing out that this point lies within the buffer zone and is under the responsibility of the United Nations.

A UN base that oversees the Golan Heights within Syrian territory sits on the summit, according to the report.

Israeli media indicated that the Israeli military is intensifying its strikes on Syria, targeting weapons depots and air defense systems; anything that could pose a "future threat" to "Israel".

According to Israeli media, the Israeli occupation army announced bombing about 100 "targets" inside Syria in the past hours.

They added that the wave of Israeli attacks on Syria is being carried out on an unprecedented scale, exploiting the current governmental "chaos" in the country.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Israeli occupation military to occupy the buffer zone on the border with Syria.

Speaking from a site near the Syrian border, Netanyahu declared the collapse of the 1974 "disengagement agreement" with Syria, after "Syrian forces have abandoned their positions."

He said he ordered the military "to seize the buffer zone and the commanding positions nearby."

The occupation military announced Sunday a troop deployment there, citing "the possible entry of armed individuals into the buffer zone."

The buffer zone, created in 1974, separates Israeli-occupied areas from liberated Syrian territories and has been monitored by UN peacekeepers since its establishment.

Netanyahu hailed the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday as a "historic day".

He indicated that al-Assad's overthrow "presents significant new opportunities" for Israel "but is not without risks."

The Israeli occupation military also issued a warning calling on residents of five towns in southern Syria to remain in their homes, as it plans to take action. These towns are Ofania, Quneitra, al-Hamidiyah, Western al-Samadaniyah, and al-Qahtaniyah. 

Al Mayadeen's bureau chief in occupied Palestine suggested that "Israel" will begin attempting to establish cantons to fragment Syria’s geography, adding that the military occupation of part of Syrian territory is an Israeli attempt to impose Zionist agendas on the Levant.

On Saturday, a UN Peacekeeping spokesperson reported that UNDOF personnel had observed "unidentified armed individuals in the area of separation, including approximately 20 who went into one of the mission's positions in the northern part of the area of separation."

Israeli media reported that the Israeli occupation military had declared the occupied Golan Heights a "closed military zone" and that "Israel" is preparing to launch continuous attacks on Syria in the coming days.

In related developments, multiple reports have surfaced of Israeli airstrikes targeting a strategic airbase in Syria and residential areas in Damascus in recent hours.

Shortly after, Israeli aircraft targeted the security zone that includes intelligence and customs buildings in the Kfar Sousa area in central Damascus, causing massive fires.

Reuters cited security sources who said "aircraft believed to be Israeli" struck the Khalkhala airbase in southern Syria. In addition, the agency reported that "suspected Israeli strikes" targeted the Mazzeh neighborhood in Damascus, with media sources confirming two large explosions in the area.

In this context, Israeli media reported that the Israeli army is attacking anything that could pose a threat to "Israel" in Syria.