The IDF\u2019s advance past the Golan Heights will prevent terrorists from taking over the border area, according to the State Department<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Washington has defended Israel\u2019s military incursion into Syria, with State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stressing that the operation is in self-defense. At a press briefing on Monday, Miller claimed that the Israel Defense Forces\u2019 (IDF) advance to the Syrian side of the Golan Heights was done to prevent Syrian-based militants from taking over the border areas and launching an offensive into Israel in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Israeli troops moved into the demilitarized buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, after Syrian opposition forces seized Damascus and forced former President Bashar Assad to flee the country. On Monday, Israeli forces moved beyond the buffer zone and into Syria proper, with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz saying they intend to create a new \u201csecurity area\u201d there that would be clear of \u201cheavy strategic weapons and terrorist infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Miller, by abandoning its positions in the area around the buffer zone, the Syrian Army \u201cpotentially created a vacuum\u201d that could be filled by terrorist organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat would threaten the state of Israel and would threaten civilians inside Israel. Every country has the right to take action against terrorist organizations,\u201d Miller stated, adding that \u201cultimately, it\u2019s important that there is security along that border,\u201d which, according to him, the Israeli military can now ensure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miller noted, however, that Washington expects the Israeli occupation to be temporary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a temporary action that they have taken in response to actions by the Syrian military to withdraw from that area\u2026 We want to see the 1974 disengagement agreement upheld, and that includes the terms of the buffer zones, which includes Israel withdrawing to its previous positions,\u201d he stated, referring to Israel\u2019s 1974 agreement with Syria to establish a demilitarized strip in the Golan Heights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miller\u2019s words run counter to remarks made earlier by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While West Jerusalem told the UN Security Council that its incursion into Syria is a \u201climited and temporary measure\u201d at a press conference on Monday night, Netanyahu declared that \u201cthe Golan Heights will forever be an inseparable part of the state of Israel.\u201d He previously argued that Israel\u2019s disengagement agreement with Syria effectively \u201ccollapsed\u201d once Syrian troops \u201cabandoned their positions\u201d in the buffer zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UN has criticized Israel for the incursion, saying it violates the disengagement agreement and stressing that \u201cthere should be no military forces or activities in the area of separation.\u201d A number of Middle Eastern countries have also condemned Israel\u2019s advance past the Golan Heights, accusing West Jerusalem of orchestrating an illegal land grab. In a statement on Monday, Qatar\u2019s Foreign Ministry slammed the move as \u201ca blatant attack on Syria\u2019s sovereignty and unity\u201d and \u201ca flagrant violation of international law.\u201d Similar remarks were made by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n