Israeli army chief tours occupied Syrian territories, signals long-term control

By Khaled Yousef and Mohammad Sio

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL (AA) – Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir conducted a field tour in occupied Syrian territories on Sunday, marking the latest violation of the Arab nation’s sovereignty.

“The Chief of the General Staff spoke with the commanders and soldiers operating in the field and approved the operational plans moving forward,” the army said in a statement.

Speaking on the occupied Syrian buffer zone, Zamir described the area as “vital,” claiming Israel seized it because “Syria has collapsed.”

“That’s why we are holding key positions and are on the frontlines, to defend ourselves in the best possible way,” he claimed.

From an undisclosed vantage point, the Israeli army chief noted the strategic value of the occupied Syrian mountain range.

“It’s a strategic point. We don’t know how things will develop here, but our presence has significant security importance,” he said.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated a 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.

Despite the new Syrian administration under Ahmad al-Sharaa posing no direct threat, Israel has conducted near-daily airstrikes for months, killing civilians and destroying Syrian military sites, equipment, and munitions.

Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long rule that began in 1963.

A transitional administration was formed in Syria in late January, dissolving the constitution, security services, armed factions, parliament, and the Baath Party.