Israel Says It Will Occupy Southern Syria ‘Indefinitely’

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Israel will “indefinitely” occupy areas of southern Syria it captured after the the regime change in Damascus that ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Katz made the comments while visiting Israeli troops on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, which is located on the Syria-Lebanon border. “The IDF will remain at the summit of the Hermon and the security zone indefinitely to ensure the security of the communities of the Golan Heights and the north and all the residents of Israel,” he said.