Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader demands Israeli withdrawal from Syrian territory
Abu Mohammad al-Julani, head of the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which recently seized control of Damascus, has called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Golan Heights and the deployment of UN peacekeepers in the buffer zone. Al-Julani, whose real name is Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, claims Israel’s recent advance into Syrian territory was a response to the presence of Iranian militias and Hezbollah, a presence he asserts no longer exists.
The HTS government supports the deployment of UN forces and has formally requested the Israeli withdrawal. Israel’s presence in the Golan Heights dates back to the 1967 Six-Day War. While Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, this annexation remains internationally unrecognized. A UN Observation Mission (UNDOF) has long maintained a buffer zone between the Israeli-controlled territory and Syria.
Following HTS’s advance on Damascus, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) moved into the buffer zone and, in some cases, beyond it into Syrian territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited an IDF position on Mount Hermon in mid-December, describing it as “an exciting historical moment,” and shortly after announced a $11 million plan to double the Israeli population in the Golan Heights.