IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir [in the center] with the chief of the Northern Command, Maj, Gen. Ori Gordin and other officers in southern Syria, April 20, 2025. Click to see full-size image. (Israel Defense Forces)
Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), approved plans for “continued defense and offensive operations” in Syria during a visit on April 19 to troops deployed in the buffer zone in the south of the country.
The IDF invaded the buffer zone adjacent to the Golan Heights just hours after the fall of the Assad regime last December. It established nine strategic posts there. The military also launched hundreds of strikes against the country, destroying much of its combat capabilities.
Initially, the IDF described its presence in the buffer zone as a temporary and defensive measure. However, Defense Minister Israel Katz later said that troops will remain deployed to nine army posts in the area “indefinitely.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in February that southern Syria must be completely demilitarized, warning that Israel would not accept the presence of the forces of the country’s new Islamist-led interim government close to its territory.
“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 his visit to the buffer zone, 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 senior commander continued.
“IDF forces will continue to operate in the security zone and protect the residents from any threat,” he added.
Zamir’s situational assessment in Syria was conducted with the commanding officer of the Northern Command Major General Ori Gordin and Brigadier General Yair Palai, commander of the 210th “Bashan” Division, as well as other senior officers.
The IDF intensified its operations in Syria in recent weeks, launching strikes against several air bases in the center of the country right after they were scouted for possible deployment by the Turkish military.
The Israeli escalation led to tensions with Ankara, the main backer of Syria’s new Islamist-led interim government. Nevertheless, the two sides managed to agree on a deconfliction channel following talks in Azerbaijan, according to recent reports.
Aside from releasing a few statements condemning Israel’s actions, the Syrian government has so far done nothing to challenge the IDF. Despite the lack of reaction, Israel will likely escalate even further against the country once it ends operations in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
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buffer zone = code word for expansion of greater israel project . should be demilitarized
silly friggin idiots running the censorship function of these commentaries!