Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday declared the 1974 separation of forces agreement between Israel and Syria effectively terminated as he visited the Golan Heights in the company of Defence Minister Israel Katz.
Referring to the agreement, Netanyahu said: “Last night it collapsed. The Syrian army abandoned its positions. We gave the Israeli army the order to take over these positions to ensure that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel.”
He added that the situation was temporary “until a suitable arrangement is found,” but added that Israel would do whatever it takes to defend its borders.
The agreement following the 1973 Yom Kippur War created a buffer zone along the border monitored by a UN peacekeeping mission,
Israel seized the Goals Heights in the 1967 Six Day War and annexed the region in 1981 in a move that has not been recognized under international law. The area is significant both militarily and for its water sources.