Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was demanding the "complete demilitarization" of southern Syria, a shock announcement that his defense minister described as a "new policy" and that appeared to formalize Israel’s recent expansion into Syria's provinces.
In a speech to Israeli military cadets, he said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will remain inside Syria "indefinitely to protect our settlements and neutralize any threat."
"Let it be clear — we will not allow HTS forces or the New Syrian Army to enter the area south of Damascus," he said, referring to Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham, the militant group presiding over Syria’s transition. "We demand the complete demilitarization of southern Syria in the Quneitra, Daraa and Suwayda provinces from the forces of the new regime."
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