❗️Israel presses to keep Syrian Mount Hermon peaks, Damascus rejects

 ❗️Israel presses to keep Syrian Mount Hermon peaks, Damascus rejects

Israeli political sources revealed that Tel Aviv has told Damascus during ongoing talks that it intends to maintain its occupation of Syrian positions on Mount Hermon near the Lebanese border, calling them an “indispensable strategic asset.” Syria rejected the demand, denouncing Israel’s presence as “occupation that must end.”

Israeli officials described the seized ridges as a “strategic treasure,” allowing surveillance of Hezbollah supply routes into Lebanon, Syrian military sites, and movements they claim could resemble Hamas’s 7 October offensive.

According to Channel 12 and Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli army has set up eight outposts inside Syrian territory since early this year and conducted deep raids, including “Operation Green-White,” which penetrated 38 kilometers near Damascus, seizing 3.5 tons of arms and explosives. Officers said locals in Druze villages welcomed troops and exchanged intelligence for aid, reinforcing Israel’s claim of “protecting Druze communities.”

Planning for more raids is underway, with objectives beyond weapons seizures to disrupting Hezbollah’s supply chain across the Damascus-Beirut highway and Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.

(Asharq Al-Aqsat)