Israel signals free hand in Syria as U.S., Russia expand truce

OCCUPIED

JERUSALEM: Israel signalled on Sunday that it would keep up military strikes across its frontier with Syria to prevent any encroachment, even as the United States and Russia try to build up a ceasefire in the area.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday affirmed joint efforts to stabilise Syria as its civil war wanes, including with the expansion of a July 7 truce in the southwestern triangle bordering Israel and Jordan.

A U.S. State Department official said Russia had agreed “to work with the Syrian regime to remove forces a defined distance” from the Golan Heights frontier with Israel, which captured the plateau in the 1967 war.

Moscow did not immediately provide details on the deal.

Israel has been lobbying both big powers to deny militias any permanent bases in Syria, and to keep them away from the Golan, as they gain ground while helping Damascus beat back rebels.

In televised remarks opening Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not speak about the new U.S.-Russian ar- rangement for Syria. His regional cooperation minister, Tzachi Hanegbi, sounded circumspect about the deal, telling reporters that it “does not meet Israel’s unequivocal demand the there will not be developments that bring the forces to the Israel-Syria border in the north”.

“There’s reflection here of the understanding that Israel has set red lines, and will stand firm on this,” Hanegbi said.

That was an allusion to Israeli military strikes in Syria, carried out against suspected arms depots or in retaliation for attacks from the Syrian-held Golan.

In the latest incident, the Israeli military said it shot down a spy drone on Saturday as it overflew the Golan. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman blamed the drone on the Syrian government. Damascus did not immediately respond. Repeating Israel’s warnings, Lieberman said: “We will not allow the axis to establish Syria as its forefront base”.

Russia, which has a long-term military garrison in Syria, has said it wants foreign forces to quit the country eventually. - Full story @ timesofoman.com/world