Netanyahu says IDF will stay in Syria buffer zone as long as needed

Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israeli troops will occupy a recently seized buffer zone in Syria for the foreseeable future, as efforts continue to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza.

- Peter Beaumont

The Israeli prime minister made the remarks on Tuesday night while touring Mount Hermon - known to Syrians as Jabal Sheikh - as a report in Israel suggested the Israel Defense Forces had been ordered to hold positions there until the end of next year.

Israeli troops occupied the positions on the mountain when they moved into a demilitarized zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights after the collapse this month of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria.

Israel has faced mounting calls to move its troops from the buffer zone, most recently from the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, who said the occupation of the Golan Heights violated international law.

While Israeli officials have previously described the move as a limited and temporary measure to ensure the security of Israel's borders, they have given no indication of when their troops might be withdrawn.

Netanyahu said: "We are holding this assessment in order to decide on the deployment of the IDF in this important place until another arrangement is found that ensures Israel's security."