Israel's top diplomat has insisted that his country is “not involved” in Syria's internal affairs after the country launched an aggressive air campaign and took control of Syria's buffer zone.
“We're not involved in what's happening inside Syria, but we have concerns about the border,” Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told Fox News Digital.
“It has been a relatively quiet border so far, and we hope it will continue to be that way.”
Following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad and his government last weekend, Israel is concerned that its military and chemical weapons bases in Syria could fall into the wrong hands. An attack on the base has begun.
The ouster has created a power vacuum, with Israel and the United States questioning which power will take control in the country and how friendly the two countries will be.
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In that vacuum, Israel moved troops into the Golan Buffer Zone for the first time since it was established after the 1973 Middle East war.
Syrian opposition fighters remove the Syrian government flag from a government building in Salamiya, east of Hama, Syria, Saturday, December 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Al-Sayed)
On December 2, 2024, rebel forces in northwestern Syria seized a regime military vehicle along the route to Kweris Airport in the eastern countryside of Aleppo. (Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto via APRami Alsayed/NurPhoto via AP)
Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia accused Israel of exploiting the situation.
Danon appeared to hope that the next Syrian government would not be at Iran's mercy, but warned that “bad actors” were involved in overthrowing Assad.
“Iran has invested heavily in Syria. And today the situation has changed and Iranians will no longer be welcome in Syria. So in that respect, I think this is an achievement. But at the same time, we , we have to look at what is happening on the other front,” Danone said.
“We have to remember that this is not like a peaceful revolution. You know, they've been collaborating with al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. So we… must pay attention to that.”
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Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) The main factions behind the fall of Damascus He then fled the Assad regime and now controls the capital. However, the Islamic extremist group was founded as an offshoot of al-Qaeda, and its leader is facing a $10 million bounty.
The group has worked to soften its image in recent years, lobbying to be removed from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations.
Israel also captured Mount Hermon, the highest point on the border between the two countries and a defensive blind spot that Iran had exploited to fly low-flying drones.
Syria's Bashar al-Assad fled the country over the weekend. (Getty Images)
“It was a defensive, temporary act,” Danon said. “I'd like to see what's going on there.”
The ambassador said Israel wants Syria to have a “better future,” but its only goal is “to not allow terrorists to become vigilant.”
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“For more than 50 years, the Assad family has tortured the Syrian people and massacred hundreds of thousands of civilians. Therefore, we are the only humanitarian perspective. We want them to have a better life. ”
