Israel deploys troops to Syrian border as Assad regime falls

Israel has ramped up security along its northern border in response to the growing instability following the sudden ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

With rebel forces taking control of key areas near the Israeli border, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has declared closed military zones in the Golan Heights and issued strong warnings to southern Syrian rebels, urging them to stay clear of the sensitive buffer zone.

In a statement on Saturday evening, the Israeli military confirmed that it was providing assistance to United Nations (UN) forces on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, helping repel an attack by gunmen near the town of Hader, which lies close to the Israeli border. "The IDF is now assisting the UN force to repel the attack," the military said.

The IDF have imposed closed military zones in strategic agricultural areas near the Israeli-Syrian border, including Merom Golan, Ein Zivan, and Buq’ata, in response to the evolving situation following Assad’s flight from Damascus, according to the Times of Israel (TOI).

The report from TOI concludes the IDF has warned civilians to stay out of the designated zones until at least the end of December.

According to an IDF statement, “The IDF has deployed troops in the buffer zone and in a number of areas necessary to defend, in order to ensure the security of the communities in the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel.”

The move comes following a fresh assessment and “the possibility of gunmen entering the buffer zone,” the IDF says.

The IDF reiterated that while it is monitoring the unfolding events in Syria, it is not involved in the internal conflict saying “we emphasise that the IDF does not intervene in the events taking place in Syria.”

Israel’s military presence with new defensive positions taken up in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria, marks the first time since the 1974 Disengagement Agreement that Israeli forces have been stationed there in such a capacity.

The IDF has been on high alert in the region, monitoring the situation closely following the collapse of Assad’s government and the rapid advance of rebel forces across Syria.

The recent escalation comes after rebel forces swiftly captured critical border areas like Quneitra and Daraa, close to Israel.

These advances marked the fall of Assad’s regime, which had ruled Syria for five decades.

The TOI revealed Syrian state television confirmed the overthrow, showing jubilant crowds in Damascus celebrating the end of Assad’s rule. “After 50 years of oppression under Baath rule, we announce today the end of this dark period,” declared rebel leaders, vowing to preserve the state institutions of a "free Syrian state."

During this power vacuum two Syrian sources told Reuters that Assad may have been killed in a plane crash.

The report revealed the Syrian military aircraft, believed to be carrying the ousted president, disappeared off radar shortly after taking off from Damascus airport, leading to widespread speculation regarding his fate.

On Israel’s side of the border, the IDF is taking no chances. The military’s efforts are focused not only on defending Israel’s border but also on preventing weapons from reaching Hezbollah or other groups that may pose a threat.

According to TOI “Israeli troops have found hundreds of anti-tank missiles, mortars, grenades and other weapons in several arms caches.”

“Several Hezbollah tunnels were also demolished amid the operations”, they added.

In coordination with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which has remained stationed in the buffer zone, Israel has made it clear that its security measures will be temporary, according to the IDF.