The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will continue to hold strategic positions in southern Syria, Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir said during a visit to the Golan Heights. According to him, the presence of Israeli forces in the region is due to the collapse of the Syrian state, which forced Israel to occupy key points to ensure its own security. Zamir emphasized that the positions on the Hermon ridge allow the IDF to effectively control the situation, providing a tactical advantage. During the trip, the general assessed the situation, discussed with commanders measures to strengthen the defense and approved plans for possible offensive operations aimed at protecting Israel's borders.

Israel's decision to increase its military presence in southern Syria comes after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, after which the Syrian army withdrew, creating a power vacuum. According to the BBC, Israeli troops entered the demilitarized buffer zone on the Golan Heights on December 8, 2024, crossing the border for the first time since 1973 in an operation dubbed "Arrows of Bashan." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the 1974 disengagement agreement was no longer valid and Israel would not tolerate the presence of hostile forces on its borders. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the IDF would remain in the region indefinitely to prevent threats, including the potential rise of groups aligned with Turkey or Iran.

Israeli forces have taken Mount Hermon on the Syrian side and expanded their control over a buffer zone, drawing criticism from the UN, which called Israel’s actions a violation of the 1974 agreement. In the first days after Assad’s fall, Israel carried out more than 480 airstrikes on Syrian military targets, including weapons depots and air defense systems, to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremist groups such as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stressed that the strikes were preventive in nature, aimed at protecting national interests.

The new Syrian government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly known as Mohammed al-Julani), has protested Israel's actions. According to RIA Novosti, Syria has declared its readiness to take control of the Golan Heights on the condition that the IDF withdraws, which Israel has categorically rejected. Netanyahu has declared that the Golan Heights will remain under Israeli control "forever," and the government has approved a plan to double the number of settlers in the region, which, according to the BBC, has prompted accusations of violating international law.