Israel confirms strikes in southern Syria

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has confirmed the military assault on southern Syria.

"The Air Force is attacking strongly in southern Syria as part of the new policy we have defined of pacifying southern Syria — and the message is clear: we will not allow southern Syria to become southern Lebanon," his spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.

Residents of Damascus and Reuters reporters in the city heard the sound of airplanes flying several low passes over the capital and a series of blasts.

The bombardment came hours after Syria condemned Israel's invasion into the country's south and demanded it withdraw, according to the closing statement of a national summit.

The conference rejected the provocative statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of transforming southern Syria into a "demilitarised zone" and not allowing the new Syrian army to deploy in the area.

It urged the international community and regional organisations to assume their responsibilities toward the Syrian people, urging them to apply pressure to halt the Israeli violations.

Netanyahu's provocative statement

Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the military will remain in southern Syria for the foreseeable future.

"In Syria, Israeli forces will remain stationed at the summit of Mount Hermon," referring to Jabal al Sheikh in the occupied Golan Heights.

"In the adjacent buffer zone, we will stay for the foreseeable future. We will not allow the presence of Hayat Tahrir al Sham or any new Syrian military forces south of Damascus," he said via satellite at a Washington conference hosted by the pro-Israel lobbying group, AIPAC.

During the June 5, 1967 war, Israel occupied most of the Golan Heights in southwestern Syria, including parts of the slopes of Jabal al Sheikh. In 1981, Israel unilaterally annexed the territory, a move not recognised by the UN.

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

During this time, Israel launched hundreds of air strikes that targeted military sites across Syria, including fighter jets, missile systems and air defence installations, according to reports.

Meanwhile, the Syrian transitional government is working toward stability and progress amidst these challenges.

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Source: TRT