‘Not true’: Israel denies post-Assad incursion into Syria, says IDF troops are within buffer zone

Israel has denied reports that it has invaded Syria and reached the outskirts of its capital Damascus.

Days after Syrian opposition forces overthrew longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Reuters on Tuesday (December 10) quoted a Syrian source as saying that Israeli military had reached the city of Qatana, which is just 20-30 kilometres from Damascus.

The report came within incessant bombardment of military, intelligence, and military production facilities inside Syria by Israel. To prevent the heavy weapons, including chemical weapons, of the Assad regime from falling into the hands of Islamist opposition group who overthrew the regime, Israel has been carrying out consistent bombing campaign inside Syria.

Avichay Adraee, the Arabic language spokesperson of the Israeli military, said in a post on X that reports of Israeli military’s march to Damascus are “completely incorrect”. He added the Israeli military is present inside the buffer zone it has carved out along the Israel-Syria border.

“Reports circulating in some media outlets claiming that IDF forces are advancing or approaching Damascus are completely incorrect. IDF forces are present inside the buffer zone and at defensive points close to the border in order to protect the Israeli border,” said Adraee in Arabic.

Following the overthrowal of Assad regime over the weekend, Israeli military moved into a longstanding demilitarised buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights region and occupied it. It stressed that it was a temporary action in response to the development in Syria.

In a letter to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Israeli envoy Danny Danon stressed that it was “important to emphasise, however, that Israel is not intervening in the ongoing conflict between Syrian armed groups” following Assad’s ouster and Israeli actions in the demilitarised zone “are solely focused on safeguarding our security”, according to The Times of Israel.

The demilitarised zone is a 235-square-km area between Israel and Syria as a result of an agreement reached in 1974. UN peacekeepers are deployed in the area.

Following the collapse of Assad’s regime, Israel said that the agreement stands void until order is restored in Syria.