Israeli mobilization in Syria irks neighboring Turkey

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned Israeli military forces’ incursion into what was previously a buffer zone in Syria. Turkey accused Israel of trying to occupy more territory while Syria was in a vulnerable position. Syria’s sovereignty must be protected, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

What happened? Israeli troops moved into nearby parts of Syria on Sunday to protect the Golan Heights and its citizens there, the Israeli military said. The region Israeli troops moved into was previously a buffer zone established in 1974, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. But once the Syrian government collapsed, the agreement establishing that buffer zone was no longer in effect, he said. Israeli troops moved into the zone to make sure no hostile forces from inside Syria began occupying positions close to Israel’s borders, Netanyahu said. Israel wanted peace with all people in Syria, he said.

Has the United States taken any actions in Syria? The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday charged two former officials in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime with perpetrating war crimes against American citizens and others including Syrian civilian detractors. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this week said the United States would work with the international community to hold accountable those in the Assad regime who were responsible for various alleged crimes and atrocities. U.S. forces also recently bombed the Islamic State group to minimize its presence in Syria while Syrians work to establish a new government.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report in WORLD Magazine about how Iran is pulling the levers of various terrorist groups in the Middle East.