The Israeli military is now miles deep within Syria, and Israel has made it clear that they will not leave until the area is stable. As we read in Walla:

After the coup in Syria, IDF forces have already positioned themselves kilometers deep into Syrian territory – this is what officers in the Northern Command reported today (Thursday). According to them, the political echelon has instructed to continue the activity in the country with a combination of various forces, including infantry, engineering, armor and air. Meanwhile, after assessing the situation, the IDF decided to take control of the Hermon outpost in Syria, which is equivalent to the Israeli one, using the Shaldag unit forces. The IDF’s presence in the Syrian outpost on Mount Hermon allows for a spatial view of the Damascus-Beirut axis, and in addition, allows for spatial control over smuggling and infiltration routes.

Officers in the Northern Command who are familiar with the details of the moves in Syrian territory explained that the activity stems from two main reasons. The first is security, “The demilitarized zone is in accordance with an agreement signed in 1974 after the Yom Kippur War. As soon as the Syrian army abandons the positions, the agreement is canceled. Therefore, before rebel forces or other armed hostile elements enter this space, the IDF is expanding its ability to defend the border and the settlements. Any waiting for other forces could pose a risk.”

“The IDF’s entry into the demilitarized zone is intended to serve as a card for the political echelon in the future. When another force comes and conducts negotiations, Israel will be able to demand conditions for continued demilitarization of the area and stability in control of the area. If that doesn’t happen? The IDF will not leave. What happened on October 7 in the Gaza Strip will not happen again. We have learned the lesson,” they added.