Syria on Wednesday condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s entry into the Syrian side of Mount Hermon accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz to inspect Israeli forces, calling the visit a violation of its sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law.
In a statement, Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said Damascus strongly condemned what it called Netanyahu’s unlawful entry and tour of Mount Hermon, describing the move as provocative and a flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty.
Netanyahu speaks about Iran as Katz rejects withdrawal
During the visit, Netanyahu said the main mission was to overthrow Iran’s regime, describing it as terrorist. He added that Israel was now very close to achieving that and that the axis comprising factions allied with Tehran in the region would eventually collapse.
The Israeli prime minister reiterated his opposition to the presence of what he called a “terrorist army” on Israel’s borders. Katz, for his part, addressed a message to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, affirming that Israeli forces would not withdraw from Mount Hermon or the area he described as a security zone.
Airstrikes and incursion after Assad’s fall
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Syria, focused on military targets. Israel said the strikes were aimed at preventing the new authorities from taking possession of the former army’s arsenal.
Israeli forces advanced beyond the buffer zone bordering the Golan Heights, most of which Israel has occupied since 1967, reaching Mount Hermon, which separates Syria and Lebanon. Israel also announced plans to establish a demilitarized zone, while Israeli officials repeatedly say their forces do not intend to withdraw from southern Syria.
Netanyahu had previously inspected Israeli forces inside Syria at least twice: the first time in December 2024, shortly after Israel took control of the buffer zone, and the second in November 2025. Katz also visited troops in southern Syria two weeks ago, in a visit Damascus condemned as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
US-mediated talks amid continuing attacks
Despite the continuing tensions, Syria and Israel held rounds of US-mediated talks, during which they agreed to establish a mechanism for exchanging intelligence as part of efforts to reach a broader security agreement. However, the meetings did not lead to an end to Israeli attacks condemned by several countries, including the United States and Türkiye.
In August, Israel bombed the Abu al-Duhur air base in northwestern Syria, saying the strike was prompted by the possibility of Turkish forces being deployed there, a claim Damascus and Ankara denied.
Syria announced late last month that it had held talks with Israel in Jordan on de-escalation and ensuring that tensions between Türkiye and Israel would not spread to Syrian territory.
