Netanyahu says Gaza deal approaching after events in Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, Dec. 9, that the radical Palestinian movement Hamas is in "final isolation" following the change of power in Syria, creating new opportunities for an agreement on Gaza.

"Hamas is more isolated than ever. They had hoped for united fronts, but instead the fronts are collapsing. It expected help from Hezbollah, but we deprived them of that. Hamas wanted help from Iran, but we eliminated that too. Hamas wanted help from [former Syrian President Bashar] Assad, but that's not going to happen either. This now opens the door to a hostage agreement," Reuters quoted the prime minister as saying.

Responding to a related question, Netanyahu refrained from specifying a specific timeframe for a possible agreement. But clarified that Israel is trying to make efforts to free the hostages constantly, every day.

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Earlier in the day, Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh said that Damascus plans to notify the UN Security Council (UNSC) that the IDF strikes and the actions of its military in the Golan Heights are a violation of the republic's sovereignty by Israel.

On the same day, media reported that the Israeli army's military entered the neighboring state's controlled territory for the first time since 1973 as part of an operation in the buffer zone on the border with Syria. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that this is a temporary measure, which is motivated by the defense of Israel.

On the eve, December 8, the national coalition of revolutionary and opposition forces in Syria said it had begun work on the formation of a transitional authority. The Prime Minister of the SAR Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali, in turn, said that he was ready to cooperate with any leadership of the country that will be elected, and most of the Syrian ministers remain in Damascus.

Against this backdrop, the IDF announced the deployment of forces along the Syrian border to guarantee the safety of Israeli citizens and communities in the Golan Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the demarcation agreement with Syria has been terminated due to the Syrian withdrawal. The Israeli military later took control of Mount Hermon.

The situation in Syria escalated as a result of a major attack by armed formations in Aleppo and Idlib, which began on November 28 and led to the Syrian army's retaliation against the militants.