Israel denies its forces have gone past Syria buffer zone

Israel denied on Tuesday that its forces had penetrated Syrian territory beyond the buffer zone with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, after Syrian sources said the incursion had extended to within 25 km (15 miles) of the capital Damascus.

After Assad’s flight on Sunday ended over five decades of his family’s rule, Israeli troops moved into a demilitarised zone inside Syria established following a 1973 war. Israel calls the incursion a temporary measure to ensure border security.

Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesperson, said troops remained in the buffer zone and “a few additional points” in the vicinity but he denied there had been any significant push into Syria beyond the separation area.

“IDF forces are not advancing towards Damascus. This is not something we are doing or pursuing in any way,” he told a briefing with reporters.

“We are not involved in what’s happening in Syria internally, we are not a side in this conflict and we do not have any interest other than protecting our borders and the security of our citizens.”

Three security sources said on Tuesday the Israelis had advanced beyond the demilitarised zone. One Syrian source said they had reached the town of Qatana, several km (miles) to the east of the zone and just a short drive from Damascus airport.

Officials say Israel, which has just agreed a ceasefire in Lebanon following weeks of fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement there, does not seek conflict with the new entity in control of Damascus.

But Israeli jets have struck a string of targets across Syria since the weekend in an apparent bid to ensure Syrian military equipment, including combat aircraft, missiles and chemical weapons, does not fall into rebel hands.

Israeli media reported that the air force had carried out as many as 250 strikes. The military declined to confirm the number but did confirm it was seeking to stop Syrian military weapons being seized and used by potential enemies.

“We’re acting to prevent lethal strategic weapons from falling into hostile hands. We’ve been doing this for years now in different ways and in different situations, and we’re doing it now,” Shoshani said.

Israel welcomed the fall of Assad, an ally of its main enemy Iran, but has reacted cautiously to the leading rebel faction, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. HTS has roots in Islamist movements including al Qaeda and Islamic State though has sought for years to moderate its image.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would use all the tools it had to ensure its security following Assad’s fall.