Sun Dec 08 04:50:53 UTC 2024: ## Israeli Army Aids UN in Repelling Attack on Golan Heights
**Quneitra, Syria –** The Israeli army intervened Saturday to assist UN peacekeepers under attack in the Syrian-controlled Golan Heights. Armed individuals launched an assault on a UN post near the town of Hader, prompting the Israeli military’s involvement in repelling the attack. While the UN has yet to comment, the Israeli army confirmed its assistance.
The incident follows a recent surge in fighting in Syria, with rebels seizing the provincial capital of Quneitra earlier on Saturday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. This escalation is part of a wider renewed conflict that began late last month.
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited the Syrian border, emphasizing Israel’s commitment to preventing threats in the region while clarifying that its actions are not an intervention in the Syrian civil war. Although the Israeli army initially declined to comment on whether the attack was ongoing, they did confirm earlier reinforcement of ground and air forces in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the conducting of readiness exercises.
The Golan Heights have been a source of tension since Israel’s 1967 annexation of the territory, a move not internationally recognized. A UN peacekeeping force (UNDOF) has maintained a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian-controlled areas since 1974, but the area has seen previous attacks, notably a 2014 incident where Islamist rebels took Fijian peacekeepers hostage. The current situation underscores the ongoing instability in the region and the delicate balance maintained by the UN peacekeeping force.
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