WhatsappThe IDF continues to operate in southern Syria, strengthening its hold over the old buffer zone, the Hermon area, and areas further to the east.
Since entering what was Syrian territory under Assad the IDF has captured more than 3,300 weapons and other military items.
These weapons include two tanks, 70 grenades, 165 shells and rockets, 20 anti-aircraft missiles, and some 1,500 RPGs, the military says. The troops also seized 60 pieces of surveillance equipment and 570 electronic items, including computers and communication devices.
Despite insisting that the IDF’s presence in southern Syria is temporary, there seems to be no real push for Israel to pull out. With Turkey essentially now in control of Western Syria, Israel has even more reason to stay in the newly liberated territory in order to push back on Turkish expansionism.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Israel to rake its forces out of Syria. Of course, he makes no mention of his own troops far deep inside Syria than the IDF. Erdogan sees Syria as part of his growing neo-Ottoman caliphate and he knows the only regional player that has the capability to stop him from reasserting his control over the Middle East is Israel.
Like the Qataris, Turkey is a supporter of Hamas and makes it clear that they have Jerusalem in their sites. With Turkey replacing Iran as the bad actor in the region – Israel has no choice but to strengthen its control over the Syrian buffer zone. Letting Turkey reach the Golan Heights would be an existential threat to the Jewish State as well as the other Abraham Accords nations.
The hostage release deal on the table is more about managing the region than it is about releasing hostages. Trump knows who is really behind Hamas and it is not just Iran. The reality as mentioned above, Qatar and Turkey have been utilizing Hamas for years as a forward base against Israel. After all, like Qatar and Turkey Hamas is part of the Muslim Brotherhood.
If Hamas torpedoes the deal and embarrasses Trump - the incoming president knows that it is Turkey and Qatar that must pay the price. If Turkey and Qatar allow the death cult they created on Israel’s door step to release the hostages and accept international over sight and a permanent Israeli presence nearly 1km in on all sides then essentially the two countries have admitted that they have lost. Either way, Israel’s push into what was once Syria will be backed not only by Trump, but Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan and that in and of itself is a radical change for the region.
