IDF chief OKs continued operations in Syria

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, approved plans for “continued defense and offensive operations,” during a visit on Sunday to troops serving in the security zone in southern Syria.

“This area is vital. We entered because Syria fell apart, and therefore, we are holding key positions and are on the frontline to protect ourselves in the best possible way,” Zamir said during the visit, according to the IDF.

“From this location, we can see everyone on this ridge—it is a strategic point. We don’t know how things will develop here, but our hold on this area has great security significance,” the general said.

“IDF forces will continue to operate in the security zone and protect the residents from any threat,” Zamir said.

Zamir’s situational assessment in Syria was conducted with OC Northern Command Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin and Brig. Gen. Yair Palai, commander of the 210th “Bashan” Division, as well as other senior officers.

The chief of staff spoke with the commanders and soldiers operating on the ground in Syria.

Earlier this month, Israeli paratroopers carried out a series of defensive operations in southern Syria aimed at neutralizing threats near the Israel-Syria border, the Israel Defense Forces said on April 5.

The Paratroopers Brigade, operating under the 210th Division, dismantled decommissioned Syrian military hardware, including tanks, armored vehicles and artillery abandoned by the former regime. During the raid, troops also seized dozens of rockets, mortars and other arms.

Since the fall of the Iranian- and Russian-backed Assad regime on Dec. 8, Israel’s military has taken up positions inside and beyond the Golan buffer zone, including on the strategic Syrian side of Mount Hermon.

The Israeli Air Force has conducted hundreds of strikes on former Assad army assets to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile forces.

Defense Minister Israel Katz has repeatedly stated his commitment to the IDF staying in Syria “indefinitely” to protect the northern border.

Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fox said on March 25 that the IDF intends to maintain a permanent security presence inside Syria.

“Unequivocally, the security zones in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria are permanent zones,” Fox said in an interview with Galey Israel radio.