Israel seized hundreds of square-kilometres of Syrian territory following the ouster of the Assad regime [Getty]
Israel is reportedly constructing military bases on occupied Syrian land as it consolidates its grip on territory seized from its northern neighbour in December.
Swathes of Syrian territory fell under Israeli control in December after it invaded the south of the country following the ouster of the Assad regime.
In the week after Assad fled Syria, Israeli troops took control of the UN buffer zone in the Golan Heights, Mount Hermon on the Lebanese border, and other parts of Quneitra and Deraa provinces.
Local media reports indicate that Israel was establishing a permanent presence in the newly-occupied territory with the building of six military bases in Quneitra.
Independent Syrian outlet Enab Baladi reported this week that Israel was building five bases within the 235 square-kilometre buffer zone and one outside it.
It said Israeli forces had destroyed trees and bulldozed agricultural land, and had sometimes blocked the movement of UN peacekeepers stationed in the buffer zone.
The report coincided with the publication of images by a Syrian drone photographer which reportedly showed the construction of the bases.
Senior Israeli officials said earlier this month that they had intended to maintain a 15-kilometre buffer zone as well as a “zone of influence” stretching 60 kilometres into Syria.
Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa last week called on Israel to withdraw its troops and for UN peacekeepers to regain control of the buffer zone.
In comments alongside the Qatari prime minister, he said that Israel no longer has a pretext to remain in Syria now that Iran and Hezbollah were no longer a force in the country.
Israel’s seizure of Syrian land was condemned by Arab countries who accused it of violating Syrian sovereignty.
The UN also said the move “severely violates” the terms of the ceasefire agreement that ended the 1973 war.
