Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israeli forces had taken control of a buffer zone in the Golan Heights, which had been established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria.
This followed a rapid rebel advance that led to the end of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. Netanyahu said that the long-standing agreement had collapsed, with Syrian troops abandoning their positions, which led to Israel’s decision to take over the area.
Netanyahu also hailed the ousting of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad on Sunday as a “historic day”. “This is a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, Assad’s main supporters. It has triggered a chain reaction across the Middle East, empowering those seeking to break free from this oppressive regime,” he added on a visit to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Israel captured the Golan Heights during the 1967 Middle East war and subsequently annexed it. The international community, with the exception of the United States, considers it to be occupied Syrian territory.
Earlier in the day, Syrian rebels announced that they had ousted President Bashar al-Assad after capturing capital Damascus, forcing him to flee and ending his family’s decades-long autocratic rule following more than 13 years of civil war.
The Islamist rebels’ victory also dealt a significant blow to the influence of Russia and Iran, key allies of Assad who had supported his regime during crucial phases of the conflict.