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Israel has begun to occupy war-torn Syria, expanding its control in the southern region day by day and approaching the capital Damascus. The bold Israel move began in the wake of the surprising collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. After some 14 years of resisting, the regime collapsed within 11 days of a major rebel offensive, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an al-Qaeda offshoot, and indirectly backed by Turkey. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) began moving in Syria just a few hours after the fall of the regime on December 8. Initially, the military said that it was deploying troops to the buffer zone between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria as a “temporary measure.” Later on the same day, it announced that the Israeli Air Force’s (IAF) elite Shaldag Unit had captured the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, a strategic height that overlooks much of southern Syria and neighboring Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced from the Golan Heights that the 1974 separation of forces agreement with Syria had finally collapsed. On December 9, Israel expanded the goals of its operations in Syria. Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to create a “security zone free of heavy strategic weapons and terror infrastructure” in southern Syria, including beyond the buffer zone, that could pose a threat to Israel. On the same day, Katz instructed the military to continue to destroy “strategic weapons” in Syria that Israel fears could fall into the hands of hostile forces, including “surface-to-air missiles, air defense systems, surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, long-range rockets, and coast-to-sea missiles.” As a result, the IAF expanded its strikes to cover most of Syria’s territory, including the western governorates of Lattakia and Tartus as well as the northeastern governorate of al-Hasakah. Israeli troops took over nearly all the buffer zone and reached the city of Ba’ath in al-Quneitra. The units deployed to the zone were reportedly the Paratroopers Brigade and the 210th “Bashan” Regional Division. Early on December 10, the IDF pushed even deeper into southern Syria, with Reuters reporting the presence of Israeli troops some 25 kilometers to the southwest of the Syrian capital Damascus and in the outskirts of the town of Qatana which is located some ten kilometers away from the buffer zone. On the same day, Hebrew media reported that the IDF had destroyed the capabilities of the SAA in the largest air operation it carried out in its history. Some 250 targets were hit, including weapons factories and military research facilities. So far the IDF has faced no resistance from HTS, which is now the de-facto ruler of Syria, or any other rebel group. If this situation continues, Israel will likely push deeper especially near the border with Lebanon. The main goal is likely to impose its will on the new government forming in Damascus.
