Netanyahu says new opportunities for Israel because of power shift in Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the change of power in Syria opens new opportunities for Israel. His Dec. 8 statement was published on the government information website.

"This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of [Syrian President Bashar] Assad's regime, <...> offers great opportunities, but also comes with significant dangers," Netanyahu said.

He pointed out that this change of power is the result of Israeli actions against Iran and the Shiite organization Hezbollah in Lebanon.

According to the Israeli prime minister, the 1974 demarcation agreement between Israel and Syria, which had been in force for 50 years, was terminated due to the withdrawal of Syrian troops and therefore Israel occupied a buffer zone near the Syrian border for defense purposes and "to ensure the security of the communities in the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel."

Israel will monitor developments in Syria, Netanyahu noted.

"If we can establish good neighborly and peaceful relations with the new forces emerging in Syria, that will be our desire. But if we don't, we will do everything we can to defend the State of Israel and its border," he concluded.

Arab Spring 2.0: armed opposition in Syria claims control of Damascus

The country's prime minister has signaled his readiness to hand over power to the new leadership

Earlier in the day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared two agricultural areas in the Golan Heights a closed military zone. At the same time, the IDF deployed its forces in the buffer zone and "a number of other places" near the border with Syria for defense purposes. At the same time, the Israeli army emphasized that it "does not interfere in internal developments in Syria."

Also on Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad decided to leave the post of head of state and leave the country as a result of negotiations with the opposition. At the same time, SAR Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali said that he was ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people. He noted that a new stage has begun in the history of Syria.

On November 29, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called the activation of the opposition part of the US plan against the background of Israel's defeat in Lebanon. At the same time, the White House denied its involvement in the events.

A day earlier, the Syrian ministry reported that armed formations launched a major attack in Aleppo and Idlib, and the Syrian army began to repel it, causing serious damage to the equipment and manpower of militants.