Israel demands complete demilitarisation of southern Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently demanded that most of southern Syria be completely demilitarized. This statement may increase the possibility of conflict between Israel and the new Syrian leadership, especially after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.

Speaking to Israeli military cadets on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel would not allow forces from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, an Islamist group that overthrew Assad) and the newly formed Syrian army "to enter the area south of Damascus." He added that Israel would not tolerate any threats to the Druze community in southern Syria.

Netanyahu also stated that Israeli forces would remain indefinitely in its occupied Syrian territory since Assad's downfall last December, marking a shift in Israeli strategy. Previously, Israel had claimed that its entry into the UN-monitored demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights was only a temporary measure to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens.

Syria's new interim president, Ahmed Shala'a, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has tried to assure Israel that he does not want conflict and is prepared to abide by the long-standing disengagement agreement reached between the two countries after another war in 1973. He also emphasized that he would not allow Syria to be used as a base to attack Israel. However, Shala'a has also called on Israel to withdraw from its occupied buffer zone as he seeks to assert sovereignty over Syria's fractured lands. Clearly, Netanyahu does not trust these assurances.

Like most members of the international community, the Israeli Prime Minister is waiting to see if Shala'a will deliver on his moderate stance in both actions and words. For the new Syrian leadership, freeing the country from the influence of all foreign powers vying for position during the long civil war is crucial to ensuring a more positive future for the nation and a clean break from the past. Israel may pose a more direct challenge to the independence of the new Syrian leadership. Netanyahu's move to prohibit Syrian troops from freely operating within their own country could be an unacceptable move for the new order in Damascus, no matter how non-confrontational an image it tries to maintain.