The Israeli army will remain inside Syrian territory, in what is supposed to be a demilitarized zone, indefinitely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday, as part of what he described as an effort to bolster security amid the crisis in Syria.

The troops will remain "until another agreement is found that guarantees Israel's security," Netanyahu said atop Mount Hermon, which is divided between the Golan Heights occupied by Israel, Lebanon and Syria.

Israel entered the demilitarized buffer zone, east of the Golan Heights, earlier this month after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Its capture of some 400 square kilometers of Syrian territory prompted accusations that Israel was violating the 1974 UN-brokered ceasefire that established the area, and that it was exploiting chaos in its northeastern neighbor for a land acquisition.

Israel captured, and later annexed, the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Its claim to the region is recognized only by the US

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who appeared with Netanyahu, said he instructed the military to quickly establish a presence, including fortifications, in anticipation of what could be a prolonged stay in the area.

The mountaintop, the highest point in the area, will be "the eyes of the state of Israel to identify our enemies who are near and far," Katz said.

An Israeli army officer, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in accordance with military regulations, said there are no plans to evacuate the Syrians living there.

This is not the first time Israel has entered the buffer zone this year.

An AP report last month examining satellite images found that Israel had been working on a construction project, possibly a new road, near Syria since July, and in some cases had entered the area during construction.

UN forces later warned that the Israeli army has committed "serious violations" of its ceasefire agreement with Syria.

Airstrikes in Syria

Israeli troops began moving into the buffer zone on December 7, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar; on the same day, unidentified gunmen attacked UN forces in Syria.

"(The Israeli army) took temporary and one-off control of certain areas near the border to avoid an October 7 scenario from Syria," Saar said at the time, referring to the surprise attack by Hamas in 2023 in Israel from the Gaza Strip.

It followed a wave of airstrikes in Syria that hit more than 350 targets, including anti-aircraft batteries, military airfields, weapons production sites, fighter jets and missiles, the Israeli military said.

Israeli missiles also hit Syrian ports where 15 naval vessels were docked.

Israeli officials said the strikes in Syria were aimed at destroying strategic weapons and military infrastructure to prevent them from being used by rebel groups that ousted al-Assad from power, some of which emerged from movements linked to al- Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Netanyahu previously described the entry into the buffer zone as a necessary "temporary defensive position."

Regional conviction

A UN spokesman said Tuesday that the Israeli troop advance, however long it lasts, violates the agreement that established the buffer zone.

This agreement "must be respected, and employment is employment, whether it lasts a week, a month or a year, it is still employment", said Stephane Dujarric.

There was no immediate comment from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the insurgent group that led al-Assad's ouster, or Arab states.

Earlier, Ahmad al-Sharaa — Syria's de facto leader and head of HTS — said Israel is using false pretexts to justify its attacks, but made it clear that it is not interested in engaging in new conflicts, as the country focuses on reconstruction.

Others in the region condemned Israel's move into Syrian territory earlier this month. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry accused Israel of "exploiting the power vacuum... to occupy more Syrian territories and create a fait accompli in violation of international law."

Saudi Arabia separately criticized Israel for its "determination to undermine Syria's opportunities to restore its security, stability and territorial integrity."