Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
United States President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in Washington earlier in April that he could “as much Syrian territory as he wanted,” Syria In Transition reported in its 23rd issue, citing sources with knowledge on the matter.
The outlet, which is produced pro bono by the London-based Conflict Mediation Solutions consultancy, didn’t provide any further details on the discussion Trump and Netanyahu had on Syria.
The report is not surprising considering that Trump has shown nothing but support for Israel, and Netanyahu has been working to expand his country’s influence in Syria.
Following the fall of the Assad regime last December, the Israeli military invaded the buffer zone adjacent to the Golan Heights in southern Syria and established nine posts there. The military also launched hundreds of strikes against the country, destroying much of its combat capabilities.
Initially, the Israeli military described its presence in the buffer zone as a temporary and defensive measure. However, Defense Minister Israel Katz later said that troops will remain deployed to nine army posts in the area “indefinitely.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in February that southern Syria must be completely demilitarized, warning that Israel would not accept the presence of the forces of the country’s new Islamist-led interim government close to its territory. The primer also warned the government against attacking the Druze religious minority, vowing to defend the minority.
Recent weeks saw an uptake in Israeli strikes on Syria, with multiple air bases in the center of the country getting hit after being scouted for possible deployment by the Turkish military.
The Israeli military has also intensified its ground operations in southern Syria. On April 17, Israeli troops stormed the town of Hamidiyah in the southern al-Quneitra countryside, where they inspected several houses and searched for weapons.
Currently, Israel is the main player in southern Syria. Government forces are barely operating in the region, and most heavy weapons there have been either destroyed or pulled back.
It is likely only a matter of time before Israel attempts to expand its direct control over the region. Such a move could begin once the Israeli military concludes its operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and reach a more mature ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
While the Syrian government will not attempt to stop Israel, it will neither engage in any peace talks with it as this could jeopardize its legitimacy on the domestic level. Still, a popular resistance could rise up in the south of the country.
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