Israel vows to keep troops on Syrian territory in pursuit of Greater Israel project

Israel’s defence minister has declared that Israeli occupation forces will remain entrenched on Syrian territory around Mount Hermon, insisting the military presence is necessary to “protect” Israeli towns and villages. The announcement reinforces Israel’s intention to illegally hold on to land seized from its neighbour, even as US-mediated talks between Damascus and Tel Aviv continue.

“The IDF will remain at the peak of Mount Hermon and in the security zone necessary to protect the Golan and Galilee settlements from threats looming from the Syrian side as the main lesson from the events of October 7,” defence minister Israel Katz wrote in a post on X.

צה”ל יישאר בפסגת החרמון ובאזור הביטחון שנחוץ כדי להגן על יישובי הגולן והגליל מפני איומים הנשקפים מהעבר הסורי כלקח המרכזי מאירועי ה-7 באוקטובר.
נוסיף להגן גם על הדרוזים בסוריה.

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) August 26, 2025

The Syrian foreign ministry condemned Monday’s latest incursion, in which Israeli forces deployed 11 vehicles and around 60 soldiers to occupy Tal Bat al-Warda, a strategic hilltop at the foot of Mount Hermon. Damascus said the move was a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic” and warned that Israel’s expansionist agenda is escalating regional instability.

Israel has conducted repeated air strikes across Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad last year, targeting civilian and military sites including the defence ministry in Damascus and areas near the presidential palace. These attacks, alongside Israel’s creeping annexation of territory, reflect what analysts describe as part of a broader project: to weaken Syria, fragment the Arab world, and entrench Israeli dominance.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has frequently invoked biblical language to justify such expansion, describing himself as being on a “historic and spiritual mission” and declaring his deep attachment to the vision of the “Promised Land” and Greater Israel. 

By embedding troops inside Syria and fortifying Mount Hermon, Israel is seen as not merely addressing what it calls “security concerns” but advancing its long-standing colonial project to break Syria into a weak, pliant state subservient to Israeli interests.

Damascus has repeatedly demanded an end to Israeli aggression. “This dangerous escalation is considered a direct threat to regional peace and security,” Syria’s foreign ministry said in a statement. Yet, with Western powers continuing to shield Israel diplomatically, Tel Aviv is pressing ahead with its occupation and bombing campaign, underlining its rejection of international law and regional sovereignty.

READ: Who enabled the process of “Greater Israel”?