Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Syria over the Golan Heights has collapsed, following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Netanyahu instructed the Israeli military to seize control of the demilitarized zone, where United Nations peacekeepers are stationed.
Speaking during a visit to the occupied Golan Heights, Netanyahu said, “The agreement signed in 1974 has collapsed. Syrian soldiers have abandoned their positions.” He added that the Israeli army has been directed to “take control of the demilitarized zone and adjacent command posts” and vowed not to allow “any hostile force to establish itself on our borders.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had deployed troops to the demilitarized zone in southwestern Syria, citing potential incursions by armed elements. “The deployment aims to ensure the safety of residents in the Golan Heights and Israeli citizens,” the IDF stated, emphasizing that it would not interfere in Syria’s internal affairs.
In a later statement, the IDF declared a closed military zone in parts of the Golan, restricting access to agricultural areas and transitioning schools in four Druze villages to remote learning.
The developments come after Syrian opposition factions proclaimed the ousting of Assad in a broadcast on state television, pledging to release political prisoners and preserve public property.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian government forces had vacated positions in Quneitra province, bordering Israel. UN peacekeepers have monitored the area since the 1974 agreement, which established a buffer zone.
A UNDOF spokesperson confirmed sightings of armed individuals in the buffer zone, with some entering a UN post. The Israeli military acknowledged assisting UNDOF in repelling an attack.
When asked about reports of an Israeli airstrike targeting a weapons depot in Quneitra, the Israeli army declined to comment.
Israel captured most of the Golan Heights in the 1967 war and annexed it in 1981, a move not recognized internationally.
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