After the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Israel immediately launched airstrikes on nearly 500 targets in Syria in an effort to prevent these military assets from falling into rebel hands. At the same time, Israel temporarily took control of Syria’s highest peak, Mount Hermon.
According to CNN, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to be prepared for deployment in harsh winter conditions on Friday, December 13. In a statement, he emphasized the significant security importance of maintaining control over the summit of Mount Hermon due to the unfolding situation in Syria.
The summit of Mount Hermon is located within a military buffer zone between Israel and Syria. Israel took control of this 9,232-foot-high mountain last Sunday, December 8, making it the highest peak in the region, surpassing any mountain in Syria or Israel.
Efraim Inbar, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies (JISS), stated that Mount Hermon is the highest point in the area, overlooking Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, holding immense strategic significance that is irreplaceable.
Mount Hermon is only 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) away from Damascus, placing the Syrian capital within range of Israeli artillery. In a 2011 academic paper, Inbar mentioned the many advantages of occupying Mount Hermon.
“It allows Israel to conduct electronic monitoring deep into Syrian territory, providing early warning capabilities against imminent attacks,” he said, emphasizing that alternatives like airborne surveillance lack the strategic advantages of Mount Hermon. “Compared to the facilities on the mountain, these airborne surveillance systems cannot carry large antennas and heavy equipment, and are vulnerable to being shot down by anti-aircraft missiles.”
Israel has controlled some lower slopes of Mount Hermon for decades and operates a ski resort there, but the summit remains within Syrian territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the takeover of Mount Hermon is temporary. He affirmed that Israel will not allow jihadist organizations to fill the void, threatening Israeli communities in the Golan Heights akin to the attack on October 7. Israel captured the Golan Heights in 1967 during the war, a strategic plateau bordering Mount Hermon in southwestern Syria.
On October 7, 2023, the radical Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in over 1,200 deaths, 250 hostages taken, and sparking the Gaza War.
Netanyahu stated that he has extended a “helping hand” to the new Syrian government. In a video message, he clarified, “We do not intend to interfere in Syrian internal affairs. But of course, we intend to take all necessary measures to ensure our security.”
Last Saturday, December 7, President Bashar al-Assad chose to flee to Russia amidst an 11-day lightning offensive by rebel forces, ending his decades-long rule in Syria. In response, Israel carried out airstrikes on nearly 500 targets in Syria, destroying the navy and 90% of Syria’s known air defense systems.
Netanyahu outlined that Israel’s criteria for withdrawing from Mount Hermon is “the establishment of a Syrian force committed to the 1974 agreement (which prohibits military forces or activities within the buffer zone) and the ability to guarantee the security of our borders.”