Jerusalem: Israel’s military chief Harji Halevi has said that his country will not intervene in Syria. But, his focus will be on preventing ‘terrorist elements’ from establishing their roots in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Halevi, who visited the Golan Heights to assess the situation with senior military officials, was seen in a video on Saturday speaking to commanders. He said that Israel has been present in the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon for the last one week to ‘protect the border’. With no intention of occupying Syria, he said, ‘Here was a hostile country whose army has been defeated. There is a danger that terrorist elements may come here, and we are actively working to prevent them from settling here. Halevi reiterated that Israel is ‘not interfering in what is happening in Syria’ and has ‘no intention of controlling Syria.’ The fallout followed a statement by Ahmed al-Shara, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, regarding Israel-Syria relations. Al-Sharaa said he had ‘no intention of getting involved in a conflict with Israel.’ He further said that Israel has ‘no longer any reason’ for its attacks and interference in Syria. Israel’s capture of Mount Hermon The comments come after Israel captured the UN-monitored buffer zone. This has been marked as a demilitarized zone since 1974. Israeli forces have captured a Syrian army outpost and deployed troops to the summit of Mount Hermon, the highest point in the area. Israeli airstrikes are targeting military assets across Syria, according to Israeli officials. Arab countries criticize Israel Israel’s military actions have been criticized by regional countries and appeals to the international community to respect Syria’s sovereignty. Is of. Israel has said that its move into Syria is limited to the buffer zone and is not a permanent occupation, but Israeli media, quoting sources, have claimed that the army may remain in the buffer zone for a long time. Israel already occupied the Golan Heights, which most of the international community considers Syrian territory and illegally occupied by Israel, following the 1967 Middle East war.
