Golan Heights and South/West Syria 0
26 July 2020

Prime Minister Netanyahu told his cabinet that “we are acting according to our consistent policy of not allowing Iran to entrench militarily on our northern border. Lebanon and Syria bear the responsibility for any attack against Israel emanating from their territories”. The same day, Defence Minister Benny Gantz visited the northern border and listed “removing Iranian entrenchment in Syria, blocking the transfer of advanced [weapons] and preventing the development of precision [guided missiles] anywhere in the region – in Syria or in Lebanon” as Israel’s security interests. “We don’t want any unnecessary escalations, but anyone who tests us will be met by a very high capability to take action, and I hope we won’t need to use it”, he added, while further anticipating that “there can be [security] events on the border. We are prepared for all possibilities”.

Subscribe to Crisis Group’s Email Updates

Receive the best source of conflict analysis right in your inbox.