Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Israeli forces will remain stationed on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights indefinitely.
"The Israel Defense Forces will remain on top of Mount Hermon and in the demilitarized zone indefinitely to ensure the security of the residents of the State of Israel," Katz said during a visit to the area with military leaders.
The minister said that Israel will not allow “hostile forces” to take up positions in the Golan Heights demilitarized zone, completely under Israeli control following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria in early December.
Katz had already warned on 13 December that troops would remain in the demilitarised zone throughout the winter, although he then assured that the deployment was temporary.
This Tuesday, Katz explained that Israel will seek to establish ties with the Druze communities in the area in order to maintain “good neighborly relations.”
Agencies contributed to this Aurora article.
Israel's presence must be permanent in Mount Hebron, so much so that Mount Hebron and its adjacent areas for its defense must be component, constituent and integral parts of the State of Israel.
Congratulations to Israel 👏 they must stay and make their presence felt on Mount Hermon
HASHEM bless the IDF, guard and protect them. Greetings from Chile 🇨🇱