Israel Transfers Military Equipment, Winter Quarters to its Forces in Syria

Asharq Al-Awsat

29-01-2025

The Israeli Army is preparing for a longer and indefinite stay in the Syrian territories, which it invaded on December 8 following the fall of the Bashar Al-Assad regime.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Israeli army said it was sending insulated structures and equipment for its forces to reside in the Syrian Hermon area during the harsh winter weather.
'As part of the logistical effort, equipment was provided to support the troops' stay in severe weather conditions, with unique adaptations to the extreme weather conditions in the area,' the army statement read.
The army provided infrastructure and equipment capable of withstanding various weather conditions, including temporary structures with additional insulation against the cold, heating devices, generators, and a water heating system.
It also offered a specialized medical facility for treating cold-related injuries equipped with appropriate medical devices, as well as kitchens and a dining room to enable the provision of hot meals for the soldiers.
'Thousands of winter items were distributed to the soldiers in the region, with an emphasis on specialized equipment for snowy conditions, including heating packs, coats, storm suits, and winter boots,' the army statement said.
Israel still occupies the Syrian Golan Heights since the October war of 1973. Today, Israeli settlements control 95% of the land of the Golan Heights. Since the fall of Assad's regime, Israel has occupied 600 km of Syrian territory.
The Israeli army spoke about a 'temporary' stay in the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, where its troops have been deployed since last month. But the provision of structures and equipment to reside on the mountain during the harsh winter weather indicates that the army will remain there indefinitely.
The Israeli army is also systematically confiscating huge quantities of weapons and ammunition, which the Syrian army left behind, including tanks, guns, armored vehicles, anti-tank missiles, binoculars and others.
Earlier this month, roughly 30 Israeli soldiers, supported by three bulldozers and three tanks, had infiltrated in the Badaa town, located about 20 kilometers from the Mezzeh Military Airport, northeast Mount Hermon on the border between Syria and Lebanon.
The soldiers began digging trenches and established a dirt road along the Israeli border toward Al-Dureiat area, where they destroyed a farmland with bulldozers.
Israeli forces also deployed reinforcements to Al-Jazeera barracks in Ma'ariya village, in the Daraa countryside, near the Syrian-Jordanian border. They installed high concrete barriers and paved all the roads leading to the barracks.
Sources said that for the first time, the Israeli army begun conducting armored patrols on the foothills at the base of the strategic Mount Hermon on the Syria-Lebanon border.