IDF Chief Tours Occupied Syria, Says Long-Term Control ‘Vital’

Says Israel invaded because Syria ‘fell apart’

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir toured the Israeli-occupied area of southwest Syria on Sunday, speaking with commanders and approving new orders to continue the military operations against the area into the future, suggesting a long-term stay is the plan.

Israel invaded Syria in December, following the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seizing power from the Assad government. The IDF began by seizing the UNDOF demilitarized zone along the border between Syria and the already-occupied Golan Heights. They didn’t stop there, however, and have since moved deeper into the Quneitra and Daraa Governorates.

Zamir presented Israel has having invaded Syria because it “fell apart,” ignoring that Israel and several other nations backed the Islamist rebellion for years to oust Assad, which ultimately led HTS to seize control in 2024. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netaynahu even claimed credit for the regime change, while invading at the same time.

Israeli Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir | image from Wikimedia under C.C. 2.0 license

Zamir is now presenting military control over this part of Syria as “vital” and “the best possible way” for Israel to defend itself. Israel has made much of the idea that the Islamist HTS poses a threat to them in the region.

This is in spite of the reality that Islamist groups weren’t attacking Israel along the UNDOF demilitarized zone in the first place, nor has HTS suggested being hostile to Israel in any way. In fact, even before they took power HTS was talking about its desire to normalize relations with Israel, and open an Israeli embassy in Damascus.

HTS hasn’t even resisted the Israeli invasion and occupation so far, but Zamir’s talk about the significance of continuing to control the area suggests, as other Israeli officials have, that this isn’t some short term operation.

Defense Minister Israel Katz has repeatedly said Israel will remain in Syria “indefinitely,” and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fox said that Israel intends to retain a “permanent presence” inside Syria.

Though the US has endorsed the Israeli invasion, internationally it has received more criticism. That is only likely to grow as Israel makes it increasingly clear this is a permanent occupation, and as that occupation continues to grow deeper into the country.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.