No Benefit from Military Presence in Syria, Risk of Surprise Attack
Israeli officers have expressed concerns about being subjected to surprise attacks in southern
Syria, warning that the operational reality there is far from beneficial or significant.
Commanders working in the region describe an “operationally futile reality” because soldiers are
often stationed at fixed locations, some quite distant from the border, approximately 18-20
kilometers away.
According to the Hebrew newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth,” Israeli officers have affirmed that there is no benefit to the presence in Syria, indicating it’s only a matter of time before they face a surprise attack.
The newspaper quoted one officer saying, “It’s just a matter of time before we get hit here by an
anti-tank missile or a mortar shell, or some soldiers are killed, and everything will go from bad to
worse, and it’s hard to explain that to the army.”
He added, “It’s difficult to explain to the soldiers the importance of the mission here… because there’s no enemy here… we’re not executing any attacks or valuable operational missions all day.”
An officer from the Israeli army’s Northern Command elaborated that the current military situation is causing increasing concern among the troops, who feel their mission lacks a clear objective.
The same officer continued:
“Soldiers have come from an intense routine of fighting and initiative in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, and before that against Hamas in Gaza, and now they’re essentially watching Syrian farmers cultivate their land, seeing no enemy, not just through their binoculars,” warning that the noisy presence of the Israeli army with tanks passing through villages daily could attract hostile cells or armed groups as a counter-reaction.
Moreover, the Israeli officer noted that the Golan Heights saw a series of events last week that
complicated the situation, following a relatively quiet first week. The Israeli army faced two
confrontations with Syrian protesters in the Quneitra area, where Israeli forces fired upon an
anti-Israeli demonstration, claiming at the time that their soldiers felt threatened.
The Israeli army justifies its campaign in Syrian territories by claiming to collect numerous
weapons purportedly present in about 20 villages.
The Hebrew newspaper confirmed that the army has not yet detected any terrorist cells
approaching the Syrian Golan Heights, which is occupied by the Israeli forces, nor from among
the Islamic rebel organizations in southern Syria near Daraa.
According to the newspaper, the Israeli army has mobilized regular forces in the territories it
occupies in Syria, amounting to the size of two brigades.
Military sources were quoted saying
“We are preempting events and implementing an advanced defense plan until Syria stabilizes
and an organized force takes control again along our border to prevent terrorist organizations
from reaching here.”
It was also mentioned that last week, the Israeli army began setting up two camps on Mount
Hermon, which it occupied three weeks ago, and opened routes to camps at elevations of 2,400
meters and 2,800 meters to transport construction materials and military equipment, aiming to
establish Israeli control over Mount Hermon at least until the end of winter.
Israeli Tanks Penetrate Deep into Quneitra, Syria, Expelling Government Employees
