The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) seized control of former Syrian military positions near the border, including the key site of Tel Kudne in southern Syria. This marks the first official Israeli military presence within Syrian territory since the 1974 armistice that ended the Yom Kippur War.
⚡️BREAKING: Israeli radio military correspondent reports Israel’s invasion of Syria.
Doron Kadosh — Israeli Radio correspondent:
The IDF has entered Syria, capturing key strategic positions, including the Syrian outpost Tel Kodna, without facing resistance. According to… pic.twitter.com/0xeeRchurO
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) December 11, 2024
The rapid withdrawal of Bashar al-Assad’s forces and the unclear status of emerging rebel groups prompted the IDF to act swiftly to secure the area and defend Israeli border communities in the Golan Heights.
Col. Benny Kata, who heads the 474th Golan Regional Brigade that is leading the operation in Tel Kudne, told The Times of Israel that the IDF pushed forward into former Syrian posts following “the quick developments over the weekend, where the regime fell.” He also added that the possibility of jihadi elements or other unknown factions exploiting the power vacuum near the Israeli border prompted the move.
The Assad regime fell on December 8, following a dramatic 10-day rebel offensive that culminated in the seizure of Damascus and other key cities. The rebel coalition includes groups such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and former affiliate of al-Qaeda, which now controls significant parts of central Syria, including the capital.
However, the situation in southern Syria near the Israeli border remains more ambiguous. A group called the Southern Operations Room, consisting of Druze tribes and opposition militias, led the uprising in the south, but little is known about their leadership, objectives, or ideological affiliations.
Tel Kudne, a site of historical significance during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, holds strategic importance due to its elevated position overlooking both southern Syria and Israeli towns in the Golan Heights, including Keshet and Alonei Habashan.
Abandoned by Assad’s forces over the weekend, the site was quickly secured by Israeli troops, who upgraded the base with essential infrastructure such as water tanks, generators, and mobile showers. The base, previously rudimentary, was found largely cleared out, with only scattered documents, anti-tank missiles, and debris left behind.
The IDF has emphasized that its deployment into Syrian territory is temporary and defensive. Military officials stated that the forces would remain in the buffer zone until the situation stabilizes, though they acknowledged the possibility of a prolonged presence.
One of the Syrian outposts captured by the IDF is now wholly an IDF post.
The IDF is preparing for an extended stay in the area.
You can see the view from the outpost into Israel in the video.
Doron Kadosh pic.twitter.com/deSjzRp1Ki
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) December 11, 2024
The 235-square-kilometer buffer zone, established under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, had previously been patrolled by UN peacekeepers. With the fall of the Assad regime, Israeli officials have declared the agreement void until a new order is established in Syria.
