Israeli military claims to have seized a buffer zone in Golan Heights amid chaos in Syria

Israeli military claims to have seized a buffer zone in Golan Heights amid chaos in Syria

1974 UN-monitored Disengagement Agreement, which established a demilitarized buffer zone between Israel and Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that the 1974 UN-monitored Disengagement Agreement, which established a demilitarized buffer zone between Israel and Syria, has "collapsed."

Netanyahu made the comments during a visit to Mount Bental in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, a vantage point overlooking the Syrian border. He was accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz.

The prime minister said the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government had "triggered a chain reaction across the Middle East."

The Israeli military said Sunday that it had taken up new positions in a buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights, according to the Times of Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said this deployment was done "to ensure the safety of the communities of the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel" after Syrian troops reportedly abandoned their posts, the CNN reported.

The military's statement added that "the IDF is not interfering with the internal events in Syria," according to the report.

The IDF also said its deployment of troops to the buffer zone was a temporary measure, but it could end up staying there for a long time depending on the developments. The military said it would remain there until things were clear in Syria, as reported by the Times of Israel.

It marked the first time since the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement was signed that Israeli forces have taken up positions inside the buffer zone between Israel and Syria. The IDF has entered the zone briefly on several occasions in the past, said the Times of Israel.

Global Times + ENB