Israeli forces seize Golan Heights buffer zone after Syrian regime falls
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his forces have seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Picture: Israeli Government press office/AP
Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.
It came after a lightning rebel advance early on Sunday ended Syrian President Bashar Assad’s rule.
Mr Netanyahu said the decades-old agreement had collapsed and Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover.
Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied Syrian territory.
