Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken credit for the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria, speaking from the Golan Heights, a region where Israeli forces have seized former Syrian Arab Army positions. “This collapse is the direct result of our forceful action,” Netanyahu declared.
Netanyahu referred to the takeover of Damascus by Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—a group rebranded from the former al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra—as an “historic day for the Middle East.” He described the fall of Assad’s regime as both an opportunity and a potential danger, stating, “The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunity but also is fraught with significant dangers… [It] means that we have to take action against possible threats.”
One such threat, according to Netanyahu, is the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria, which he claimed “collapsed” when Assad’s forces “abandoned their positions.” Netanyahu explained that Israeli forces were ordered to occupy these positions as a temporary defensive measure. “We gave the Israeli army the order to take over these positions to ensure that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel. This is a temporary defensive position until a suitable arrangement is found,” he stated.
He expressed openness to establishing peaceful relations with emerging forces in Syria but stressed Israel’s readiness to act decisively if necessary. “If we can establish neighborly relations and peaceful relations with the new forces emerging in Syria, that’s our desire. But if we do not, we will do whatever it takes to defend the State of Israel and the border of Israel,” he said.
Since Assad’s ouster, Israeli forces have conducted a series of “very intensive” strikes, targeting Syria’s air defenses and alleged strategic weapons sites, as reported by Israeli media.
The U.S. also launched “dozens of precision airstrikes” in Syria on Sunday following the overthrow of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad by rebel forces. The strikes came right after President Trump cautioned that America should not get involved with the conflict.
According to U.S. Central Command, the strikes targeted known ISIS camps and operatives in central Syria. The Pentagon stated that the operation aimed to prevent ISIS from exploiting the turmoil to reorganize, maintaining pressure on the group after its self-declared caliphate collapsed in 2019.
