The Israeli Defense Forces have occupied Mount Hermon, 40 kilometers from the Syrian capital Damascus.

It is located in the former buffer demilitarized zone between Israeli and Syrian positions on the Golan Heights, which has existed since 1974.

However, on December 8, amid reports of the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Israeli troops entered the buffer zone and occupied the dominant heights and strategic positions.

According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the IDF’s seizure of Syrian positions in the buffer zone was “a temporary defensive position until an agreement is reached,” the BBC reports.

“If we can establish good neighborly and peaceful relations with the new government that will emerge in Syria, that will be our desire. But if not, we will do everything possible to protect the state of Israel and Israel’s borders,” he added.

Israeli columnist Naftali Hazony noted that Hermon is the highest mountain in Syria, with a height of 2,814 meters.

It is located just 40 kilometers from Damascus, which is now effectively within range of IDF artillery that can be deployed on the mountain.

He also noted that Israeli radars suffered from a significant blind spot, so they could not see beyond Mount Hermon and parts of Lebanon from their position on Mount Meron.

Iranian drones exploited this weakness by penetrating Israeli airspace while flying at low altitude.

Opportunities

The observer assumes that the Israeli military will deploy its radars on Mount Hermon to provide surveillance of the airspace over Syria and Lebanon. This is to ensure early warning of approaching aircraft and drones flying at low altitudes.

Israeli intelligence can also use the mountain by placing equipment for surveillance and intercepting enemy communications.

Hermon also dominates the main road to the northern stronghold of the Hezbollah terrorist group in the Bekaa Valley. According to an Israeli observer, several of the group’s smuggling routes north of the mountain have already been blocked.