DAMASCUS: Syria has strongly condemned Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz’s entry into southern Syria to visit Israeli forces stationed in Jabal al-Sheikh, describing the move as a “flagrant violation” of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry said Katz’s visit represented another breach of Syrian territory and rejected Israel’s continued military presence in the area.
Katz visited Israeli forces in Jabal al-Sheikh, also known as Mount Hermon, on Tuesday and said Israeli troops would continue to maintain their presence in the strategic area along the Syria-Lebanon frontier.
Syria Rejects Israeli Presence in Jabal al-Sheikh
Israel expanded its military presence in Syrian territory following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, moving troops into the UN-monitored buffer zone and taking positions around Jabal al-Sheikh. The area provides a strategically important vantage point over southern Syria.
ALSO READ: Israel Killed Over 21,500 Gaza Children, Targeted 1,244 Mosques: Media Office
Israeli forces have since established military positions in the area and carried out repeated ground incursions and strikes inside Syria.
Damascus has repeatedly demanded an end to Israeli military operations and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory.
The latest dispute comes amid continuing tensions despite Syrian efforts to pursue de-escalation. A Syrian diplomatic source recently said Damascus remained committed to reaching a security arrangement through US mediation based on the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
