Israel expands operations in Syria, secures buffer zone against jihadi threats

IDF soldiers reach deepest point in Syria territory, almost 10 km from Israeli border

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Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took control of a buffer zone along the Golan Heights frontier following the collapse of the Syrian Assad regime, driven by concerns that hostile jihadists might exploit the area to launch attacks on Israel.

Now, IDF troops in Syria have reached Tel Hader, their deepest position inside Syria, which lies around 10 km (about 6 miles) from the Israeli border.

Captain Uri Almog, a company commander in the Combat Engineering Corps' 603rd Battalion, described the near surreal experience of Israeli forces being inside Syria.

“We left al-Khiam [in southern Lebanon] last Wednesday for a weekend break. On Saturday, I received calls, and by Saturday night, the entire company had assembled in the Golan Heights. By Sunday, we were on Syrian soil,” Almog told the Jerusalem Post.

“Our soldiers understand the importance of this mission and were excited – it’s not something to take for granted. We advanced to capture Tel Hader under the Commando Brigade, but the first vehicle to set foot on the hill was from the 7th Brigade. This is the furthest the IDF has entered Syria. The last time was October 12, 1973, when Golani forces captured this mountain,” Almog added.

Syria was historically one of Israel’s most implacable foes and fought against the Jewish state during the War of Independence in 1948, the Six-Day War in 1967, and the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Despite a lack of diplomatic ties, the Syrian border has, for the past four decades, been largely quiet due to President Bashar al-Assad’s unwillingness to engage in battles with IDF troops.

Almog explained that, for the past few decades, the Israeli military has largely been trained to confront the threat of the Iranian-backed terror groups – Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon – rather than conventional Syrian forces.

“We weren’t trained for Syrian scenarios; we learned about Hezbollah and Hamas. Now, even with no enemy present, the terrain itself poses challenges. We grew up hearing stories about complex obstacles, but they weren’t as difficult as expected. Our bulldozers can handle everything. It’s clear their defenses weren’t well-maintained in our sector,” Almog explained.

“From here, you can see Damascus on one side, the Hermon slopes on another, and northern Israeli settlements behind us. Right now, we’re fortifying positions beyond the Alpha Line, expanding Israel’s defensive perimeter, and protecting Golan Heights residents.”

Arab and some European diplomats have blasted the Israeli military operations in Syria, urging Israel to withdraw its forces. However, on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israeli troops would remain in the border buffer zone “until security can be guaranteed.”

“Israel will not permit jihadi groups to fill that vacuum and threaten Israeli communities on the Golan Heights with October 7th-style attacks. That is why Israeli forces entered the buffer zone and took control of strategic sites near Israel’s border,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated.

The United Kingdom and the United States have backed Israel’s security concerns regarding the volatile border between Syria and Israel.

“What Israel is doing is trying to identify potential threats, both conventional and weapons of mass destruction, that could threaten Israel and, frankly, threaten others as well,” U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan assessed during his recent visit to the Middle East.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz recently ordered the IDF to prepare to keep troops inside Syria over the winter.

Katz emphasized that the harsh winter conditions on Mount Hermon, a 2,800-meter (9,186-foot) peak located along the border between Syria and Lebanon, required extensive preparations to ensure Israeli troops could remain stationed there for an extended period.