Israel challenges the new Syrian leaders with southern demilitarization demand

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded the complete demilitarization of much of Southern Syria.

It is an announcement that could make conflict between Israel and the new leadership in Syria, after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, more likely.

In a speech to Israeli military cadets on Sunday, Netanyahu said that Israel would not allow Hayat Tahrir to -Sham (HTS), the Islamist group that directed the overthrow of Assad, nor the new Syrian army that is being formed ” to the area south of Damascus “.

“We demand the complete demilitarization of southern Syria in the provinces of Quneitra, Deraa and Suweida of the forces of the new regime,” he added. “In the same way, we will not tolerate any threat to the Druse community in southern Syria.”

He also said that Israeli forces would remain indefinitely within the Syrian territory that they have taken advantage of since the fall of Assad last December, which would be a change in the Israeli strategy.

Until now, Israel had described its movement towards an unpelled demilitarized buffer zone in the golan heights as a temporary measure to guarantee the safety of the Israelis on the other side.

Justification seemed to be to prevent extremist groups from moving to the goal in the power vacuum.

But with his latest comments, Netanyahu has made it clear that he believes that the new authorities in Syria, with their background in jihadism, could represent a similar danger.

Israel took most of Syria’s goal during the Middle East War of 1967 and then annexed. The measure was not internationally recognized, although the United States did so in 2019.

The new interim president of Syria, the leader of HTS, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has tried to reassure Israel who does not want conflict and is ready to defend the long-standing disconnection agreement between the two countries concluded after another war in 1973.

He has also emphasized that he will not allow Syria to be used as the basis for attacks against Israel.

But Sharaa has also asked Israel to withdraw from the damping zone he has taken, since he tries to affirm sovereignty throughout Syria’s fractured landscape.

Clearly, Netanyahu does not trust these guarantees.

Like much of the international community, the Israeli prime minister is waiting to see if Sharaa fulfills his moderate and emollient position in action and words.

From the perspective of the new Syrian leadership, to free the country from the influence of all foreign powers that committed the position during the long years of the civil war is considered vital to guarantee a more positive future for the country and a definitive breakup with the past .

Some foreign players, such as Iran and Russia, have now seen at least the reduction of the general influence they once had.

Under President Donald Trump, the United States could also disconnect even more Syria, a role that has helped support forces led by Kurds in the northeast of the country.

However, there has been a growing influence of Türkiye, which provided essential support for HTS in its Lightning campaign against Assad.

The part of the great part that chooses to play could be a determining factor in how Syria develops in the era after the Assad.

But Israel can present a more immediate challenge to the independence of the new leadership of Syria.

Having Israeli troops that increasing trying to convince Syrians. both inside and outside the country that its leadership can provide.

Netanyahu’s movement to prohibit Syrian forces from operating freely within the country’s borders can be too far for the new order in Damascus to the stomach, no matter how confrontational an image that is trying to maintain.