Israel strengthens border deployments as Syria undergoes regime change

DAMASCUS: Tension was high along the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday (December 8) morning, hours after Syrian rebels announced that they had ousted President Bashar al-Assad.

The rebels’ announcement on state television marks the end of a 50-year family dynasty in a lightning offensive that raises the specter of a new wave of instability in a Middle East gripped by war.

The dramatic collapse also marks a seismic moment for the Middle East, dealing a massive blow to Russia and Iran, which have lost a key ally at the heart of the region and creating more uncertainty as the Gaza war rages.

Israel, which has severely weakened the Iran-backed groups Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, will likely celebrate the fall of Assad, another of Iran’s key regional allies. But the prospects of an Islamist group ruling Syria will likely raise concerns.

In a written statement, Israel’s military said it is not interfering with the internal events in Syria but said that following the recent events, “Including the entry of armed personnel into the buffer zone”, it has “Deployed forces in the buffer zone and in several other places necessary for its defense.”

Also read: Syrian rebels make first announcement on national television after takeover