Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the ceasefire agreement in Syria on Sunday, but stressed that any resolution to the civil war must address Israel’s interests and red lines.
“We welcome the efforts to reach a long-term, stable and substantive cease-fire in Syria,” Netanyahu said at the beginning of a cabinet meeting. “Anything that would put an end to the terrible slaughter there is important first and foremost from the human standpoint. But it’s important to make clear that any resolution in Syria must include a halt to the Iranian aggression against Israel from Syrian territory. “
He added: “We will not accept the transfer of arms to Hezbollah or opening a front against Israel in the Golan. These are the red lines we have presented from the start, and they will remain our red lines.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Netanyahu over the phone last week, presenting the Israeli leader with the details of the ceasefire plans. The conversation was one of a series of phone calls that Putin made, including calls to Syrian President Bashar Assad, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and King Salman of Saudi Arabia.