Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top defense officials arrived in the Israeli-held part of southern Syria on Wednesday as reports of an emerging agreement with the new regime continue to circulate.
Netanyahu was joined by Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Shin Bet Director David Zini, and National Security Advisor Gil Reich.
Israel has been holding on to parts of southern Syria ever since the regime of Bashar Assad collapsed in late 2024. The move, which involved crossing beyond the 1974 separation of forces agreement (Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria) well into southern Syria, was meant to create a buffer that would prevent radical elements such as al-Qaida and ISIS from using the chaos in the country as cover for launching attacks on Israel, as well as preventing the establishment of an Iranian foothold in the vacuum left by the fleeing regime forces. Israel controls the peak of the Hermon as part of this new military presence, as well as several Druze villages.
Video: PM Netanyahu in Syria / Credit: GPO
Several months ago, Israel Hayom received unprecedented access to the Syrian Hermon sector, captured following the rebels' victory in Syria and the fall of the Assad regime. This marked first media tour of this strategically vital foothold, which has been seared in Israelis' collective memory as a crucial post since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
The Syrian Hermon contains dozens of former Syrian positions. When then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and then-Northern Command Chief Uri Gordin visited the highest post – dubbed H1 by Syria and "The Peak" by the IDF – they were forced to exit immediately due to the overwhelming stench.
These hastily abandoned Syrian military positions yielded discarded uniforms, officer insignia, and substantial weaponry: explosives, mines, RPG launchers, grenades, and personal weapons. After collecting these materials, the IDF undertook extensive cleaning operations. Some positions contained apparent graves for soldiers who succumbed to disease or cold.
"On a clear day you see Damascus," one of the soldiers told Israel Hayom during the visit.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani) conducted a historic visit to Washington in November, while Syria's UN Ambassador Ibrahim Olabi addressed security negotiations with Israel and claimed the agreement "could be published at any moment."
Olabi noted negotiations continue, and their nature remains primarily security-focused, based on the agreement signed after the Yom Kippur War. "The focus of the talks is mainly on border checkpoints, the number of forces on each side, and similar matters," the ambassador was quoted as saying by the Syrian news site Al-Watan.
"The discussions address several issues and concerns of both sides. If Israel has security concerns, they can be addressed. If other issues are not security-related, they require a different approach," the ambassador said, apparently referring to the Druze issue in the Druze Mountain region, who were attacked by the Damascus regime.
The ambassador described Syrian President al-Sharaa's visit to Washington as a "historic opportunity" and stated that his country aims to establish "a space of peace, security, and stability on its southern border."
However, al-Sharaa has recently stressed that no peace would take place unless Israel withdraws from the territory it had taken during the Six-Day War, meaning that a return to the Assad-era lines established after the 1973 war were not sufficient.
