Syria · 10 September, 2026 · 3 min read
Syria Condemns Netanyahu’s Illegal Entry Into Mount Hermon After He Tours Israeli Troops
Syria condemns Netanyahu's entry into Syrian territory and Mount Hermon visit as sovereignty violation. Damascus calls the move provocative and a breach of international law.
11 outlets, one story, no spin found.
8 of 11 outlets skipped it: observers viewed the visit as part of a Knesset-election campaign.
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Netanyahu visits Mount Hermon
Syria condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s entry into Syrian territory after he visited Israeli troops stationed in southern Syria and toured Mount Hermon near the Israel-Syria border on Wednesday, calling it a “provocative” and “blatant violation” of sovereignty.
“The Syrian Arab Republic strongly condemns the illegal entry of Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into Syrian territory and his tour of Mount Hermon”
Syria’s Foreign Ministry said, “The Syrian Arab Republic strongly condemns the illegal entry of Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into Syrian territory and his tour of Mount Hermon,” and described the move as “a provocative move and a blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and of international law.”
Netanyahu made remarks during the visit that Iran’s Islamic Republic was “very close” to collapse as the six-month Middle East war between Israel, the United States and Iran continues to intensify, and he said, “There is still work to be done — the main task is to bring down the terror regime in Iran. We are very close to that,” while visiting Israeli troops on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
The Express Tribune reported that Netanyahu entered the occupied Syrian area of Mount Hermon on Wednesday accompanied by Defence Minister Israel Katz, and said observers viewed the trip as part of his campaign ahead of Knesset elections scheduled for October 27.
Regional condemnation and pledges
Kuwait also condemned Netanyahu’s “illegal entry” into Syria’s Mount Hermon, with its Foreign Ministry urging the UN Security Council to take action to halt attacks on the sovereignty of the Arab country and calling the move a “flagrant violation” and a “blatant breach” of international law.
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said continued Israeli incursions and attacks inside Syrian territory represented an “escalation that undermined security and stability in the region,” and it reaffirmed Kuwait’s “full support” for Syria’s independence and sovereignty over all its territory.
In a video filmed during his visit, Netanyahu wore a bulletproof vest and said he was standing at the summit of Mount Hermon on the eve of the Jewish New Year, pointing to Damascus, Lebanon and the Syrian Golan Heights.
Defense Minister Israel Katz signalled Israel would maintain its occupation of the area, saying in a separate video, “We are here on Mount Hermon, and we will not move from here,” while the Express Tribune reported that Netanyahu claimed Israel had established unprecedented “absolute control” over the area stretching from Mount Hermon toward the Yarmouk River.
Security zone and what’s at risk
France 24 reported that in southern Syria Israeli troops have been stationed in a so-called security zone since they pushed deeper into the country following the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, occupying what was previously a buffer zone patrolled by the United Nations that separated Israeli and Syrian forces in the Israeli-occupied Golan since 1974.
“Israeli troops have been stationed in a so-called security zone since they pushed deeper into the country following the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.”
Damascus warned that Israel’s continued incursions and attacks inside Syria represented a “dangerous escalation” that threatened regional security and stability, and it called for international action to halt the attacks and ensure a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement under which a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone separated forces.
Netanyahu linked his posture in southern Syria to the wider confrontation with Iran, saying, “We know that the entire axis will ultimately collapse,” and he also said, “We will not allow any terrorist army to establish itself on our border.”
Katz addressed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in a video message filmed atop Mount Hermon and vowed troops would not withdraw, saying, “we are here on Mount Hermon, we are in the security zone, and we are not moving from here,” while also threatening Iran by saying, “Iran is in the background; we struck it twice, and when necessary we will strike it a third time, in order to continue thwarting the threats,” as the dispute unfolded around the 1974 framework and the occupied Golan Heights.