Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir conducted a high-level field tour and situational assessment in Syria on Tuesday, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance amid ongoing regional tensions.
Accompanied by Northern Command head Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin and other senior officers, Zamir met with reserve soldiers stationed in the area, calling them “an essential operational force for maintaining the security of civilians.”
“We have been engaged for a long time in a multi-front campaign. Last week, we reached an additional peak in this campaign,” Zamir said, referencing recent IDF operations targeting the Islamic Republic. “We are severely striking all components of the axis that Iran has built against us—and now, we have acted forcefully against the head of the axis: the Iranian regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
Zamir emphasized the importance of readiness, particularly in the Golan Heights, which he described as a “forward defense zone” for Israel. “We must maintain a high level of alertness and keep our eyes open at all times … carrying out proactive operations to prevent threats. We will strike wherever necessary against any real or emerging danger. We continue to target terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah,” he said.
On Sunday, the IDF announced that troops operating in southern Syria had arrested several suspected terrorists during raids on weapons caches.
The chief of staff also addressed the evolving situation in Syria, highlighting its collapse and the current state of flux. “We hold key positions and will continue operating across the border to defend ourselves in the best possible way,” Zamir stated.
IDF apprehends Iranian terror cell in southern Syria
The IDF announced Wednesday that its troops apprehended members of an Iranian-backed terrorist cell during a special night-time operation in southern Syria.
According to an IDF statement, troops from the 474th Brigade, under the command of the 210th Division and in cooperation with field investigators from Unit 504, conducted the operation in the Umm al-Lux and Ain al-Batsali areas. The arrests followed intelligence gathered during interrogations in recent weeks.
During the raid, soldiers located and seized several firearms and grenades in the area where the terrorists were apprehended.
“We are after another successful night of activity,” said Lt. Col. (res.) M., commander in the 474th Brigade. “We will not allow terrorist elements to establish themselves in the region. We will work day and night so that the residents of the Golan Heights can sleep peacefully.”
The IDF emphasized that its forces will continue to operate in Syria to prevent the entrenchment of terrorist elements, with the goal of protecting Israeli civilians and especially the residents of the Golan Heights.
Following the overthrow of the Bashar Assad regime in December by Sunni jihadists, Israel took control of portions of the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. The move was aimed at creating a security buffer to protect Israeli territory from hostile elements operating in the power vacuum.
During a visit to the Syrian Hermon in January, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared: “The IDF will remain at the summit of the Hermon and the security zone indefinitely to ensure the security of the communities of the Golan Heights and the north, as well as all the residents of Israel.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that he will not permit forces loyal to Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani—a former Al-Qaeda terrorist—to deploy in the area south of Damascus.
Dorothy Shea, the acting U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said in June that al-Sharaa’s government ought to “begin discussions with Israel on a non-aggression agreement and subsequently begin border dispute resolution discussions.”
In early June, Syrian terrorists launched two rockets toward the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. Both projectiles landed in open areas, causing no injuries or damage, according to Israeli authorities.
In response, Katz stated that Jerusalem views al-Sharaa as “directly responsible for any threat and firing toward the State of Israel,” and warned that a “full response will come soon.”