Why Did Israel Seize Control of Syria’s Highest Mountain?
After the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Israel did not waste any time in
bombing all the Syrian military assets it wanted to keep out of the hands of armed groups.
However, the seizure of Mount Hermon, the highest peak in Syria, might be one of the most
enduring prizes for Israel, despite Israeli officials’ insistence that the occupation is temporary.
Ephraim Inbar, director of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, stated,
“This is the highest place in the region, overlooking Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. It’s of immense strategic importance.”
According to CNN, in an academic paper published in 2011, Mount Hermon’s numerous
advantages are highlighted:
It enables electronic surveillance deep into Syrian territory, providing Israel with early warning
capabilities in case of an imminent attack.
Being only 35 kilometers from Damascus, control over its Syrian slopes now in Israeli hands places the Syrian capital within artillery range.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz issued an order for Israeli forces to prepare for a prolonged
stay on the strategically important Mount Hermon, which overlooks Damascus, during the winter season.
Exploiting the vacuum on its border with Syria due to the Syrian army’s withdrawal amid the
armed factions’ control over Damascus, Israel pushed military forces into the demilitarized zone
between the two countries. Israel also launched fierce airstrikes targeting the Syrian military,
resulting in significant degradation of its capabilities.
On Thursday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Israeli
military incursion into the demilitarized zone on the border with Syria is “temporary.” A
statement from Netanyahu’s office further explained, “The collapse of the Syrian regime has
created a vacuum on Israel’s borders and within the demilitarized zone established by the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.”
The statement continued, “Israel will not allow jihadist groups to fill this vacuum and threaten
Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights with attacks, similar to what happened on October 7th.” It
added, “This is why Israeli forces entered the demilitarized zone and took control of strategic
sites near Israel’s borders.”
