First statement from the US on Israel's presence in Syria

US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel evaluated Israel's recent moves in Syria during a daily press briefing.

Patel responded to questions regarding how the US administration views the attacks and occupation actions initiated by Israel in Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

The Deputy Spokesperson stated, "We want to see lasting stability between Israel and Syria. Israel has stated that these types of actions and steps taken to protect its own borders are temporary."

Arguing that Israel is taking these military steps temporarily to keep its borders secure in the power vacuum that emerged in the region after Assad, Patel said, "Israel has the right to defend itself and ensure its security, but what we continue to work on is the effort to ensure stability in the region by supporting the critical mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force."

When reminded of statements by Israeli officials that they would remain in the region for a long time, Patel limited his response to saying that they believe this military action will be "temporary."

ISRAEL'S ATTACKS ON SYRIA

Following the intensification of clashes in Syria on November 27, the Israeli military's attacks on Syria increased simultaneously with the collapse of the 61-year-old Baath regime on December 8.

The Israeli army, which began destroying the remaining military infrastructure and assets of the regime army, expanded its occupation of the Golan Heights, which is Syrian territory.

Entering the buffer zone around the Golan Heights, the Israeli army pushed the occupation further, advancing to within 25 kilometers of the capital, Damascus.

Israel has kept the Syrian Golan Heights under occupation since 1967. The borders of the buffer zone and the demilitarized zone were determined by the Agreement on Disengagement of Forces signed between Israel and Syria in 1974.

News Source: AA