The Israel Defense Forces’ Nov. 27-28 operation in southern Syria, in which six IDF soldiers were wounded, showed the importance of “proactive activity to counter terrorism in the security zone,” OC IDF Northern Command Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo said over the weekend.
Milo’s remarks, which were made during his visit to an exercise on the country’s northern border, were published on Sunday.
“We cannot wait for the enemy to attack, we must be proactive,” the Northern Command head told participating troops. “We will not allow terrorism to establish itself along our borders.”
The IDF “will continue to operate with determination and initiative to remove threats and attempts to harm the civilians of the State of Israel even before they develop,” Milo continued.
“The IDF will continue to stand as a barrier between residents and the enemy, and will be the first to identify, respond and defend,” he added.
Last week’s targeted operation in southern Syria’s Beit Jinn area, which sought to apprehend operatives from the Jaama Islamiya terror group, left six troops injured, three seriously.
“Several reservists were injured and were evacuated to the hospital for medical treatment,” the IDF said on Friday, noting that the raid ended with “all suspects apprehended and several terrorists eliminated.”
According to Milo, forces “completed the mission successfully, apprehended the suspects, and advanced to engage under fire.”
During his visit, Milo expressed his “great appreciation for your activity and for your repeated readiness” and wished the wounded a full and speedy recovery.
After the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the IDF seized control of parts of southern Syria, expanding a security zone and maintaining a presence amid ongoing clashes and strikes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied reports that Israel is willing to give up the buffer zone in Syria as part of a new security deal.
Talks with Damascus are focused on “a security arrangement in which they demilitarize southwest Syria, and we ensure the security of our Druze allies in Jabal al-Druze,” the Israeli leader said on Sept. 22.
Netanyahu reiterated during a tour of the security zone last week that the Jewish state may need to defend itself or strike “at any moment.”
“We attribute enormous importance to our defensive and offensive ability here; it’s a mission that could develop at any moment,” said Netanyahu, who led a high-level delegation to the area that also included Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Katz told a closed meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday that Israel is not heading toward peace with Syria, as hostile forces, among them the Iranian-backed Houthis, were planning a ground incursion into communities in the Golan Heights.
The military “has a prepared plan, and if raids on the Druze mountain happen again, we will intervene, including by blocking the border,” Katz told lawmakers.
