Mon Dec 09 21:28:17 UTC 2024: ## Israel Seizes Golan Heights Buffer Zone Amid Syrian Civil War Chaos
**JERUSALEM** – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today that Israeli forces have taken control of the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights. This action follows the rapid collapse of the Syrian government, with rebel forces now controlling Damascus.
Netanyahu stated that the decades-old agreement establishing the buffer zone between Israel and Syria is now null and void, citing the Syrian army’s withdrawal from its positions in the area. The Golan Heights, captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, remains a highly sensitive issue between the two nations. While a ceasefire agreement was reached in 1974, establishing the buffer zone, most of the international community considers the Golan Heights to be occupied Syrian territory.
Iran, a strong supporter of the Assad regime, issued its first response to the unfolding situation in Syria, calling for a Syrian-led future free from destruction, coercion, and foreign intervention. Tehran has already evacuated its embassy in Damascus. Russia, which has troops deployed in Syria, confirmed that President Assad has left the country and has placed its forces on high alert.
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