SHORT:
Israel’s Prime Minister announced that the military has temporarily taken control of a demilitarized area in the Golan Heights after the 1974 agreement with Syria broke down due to rebel control.
Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the IDF to set up defensive positions to protect against border threats.
A UK-based group monitoring conflicts reported that Syrian troops left Quneitra province, leading the IDF to advise people in five nearby villages to stay inside. With Syrian rebels taking over Damascus, tensions have increased in the Golan Heights, which Israel took in 1967 and annexed in 1981.
Netanyahu called it a “historic day in the Middle East,” stressing Israel’s commitment to peace with Syrians who want to live together. The IDF’s control of the area is meant to be temporary.
