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Netanyahu to Discuss with Putin Preventing Syria Regime Forces from Entering Quneitra

Israeli soldiers patrol near the border with Syria. (AFP)
Israeli soldiers patrol near the border with Syria. (AFP)
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Netanyahu to Discuss with Putin Preventing Syria Regime Forces from Entering Quneitra

Israeli soldiers patrol near the border with Syria. (AFP)
Israeli soldiers patrol near the border with Syria. (AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he will travel to Moscow later this week to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Israel’s stance on southern Syria.

Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel "will not tolerate a military deployment of Iran and its proxies in any area of Syria."

"We meet from time to time to ensure security coordination and of course discuss developments in the region," he added.

“At the meeting, I will reiterate the two basic principles of Israel's policy: First, we will not tolerate the establishment of a military presence by Iran and its proxies anywhere in Syria – not close to the border and not far away from it. Second, we will demand that Syria, and the Syrian military, strictly uphold the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement,” he stressed.

The agreement prevents the Syrian regime forces from being present with heavy weapons in a security belt along the border.

This effectively prevents them from entering the region of Quneitra and other border regions, which are currently controlled by the opposition, sources close to Netanyahu explained.

"I also maintain constant contact with the US administration. These ties with the two great powers (Russia and the US) are very important for the security of Israel, especially now," added Netanyahu.

In its statement on Friday, the Israeli military said that, while not involved in Syria’s war, it would “continue to implement the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement that includes maintaining the buffer zone.”

The UN-monitored 1974 armistice bars or limits military build-ups by either side around the Golan.

An Israeli cabinet minister said on Thursday that Israel could fire at any Syrian forces it deems to be violating the truce deal.

According to analyses in Tel Aviv, the Syrian regime operation to take control of the areas adjacent to the ceasefire line will take several weeks and will not be as easy to control as Daraa.

The regime should not escalate tensions before the end of the Russia-hosted World Cup so as not to anger Moscow.

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Iranian Militias Barred from Entering 'Seven Villages' Area in Syria's Deir Ezzor

Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)
Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)
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Iranian Militias Barred from Entering 'Seven Villages' Area in Syria's Deir Ezzor

Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)
Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)

Russian forces in Syria are working to prevent the situation from escalating, which could draw Syria into the ongoing conflict in Palestine and Lebanon. According to Russian National Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, who recently toured the region, “the situation in the Middle East remains highly complex and tense, and it is essential to continue reintegrating Syria into the regional environment.”
As part of these efforts, Russian forces have set up a military checkpoint on the bridge connecting the so-called “seven villages” with areas west of the Euphrates, allowing the access of Syrian government and Russian forces, while barring Iranian militias and other armed groups from entering.
In 2022, Iran built this bridge to link areas it controls west of the Euphrates with the seven villages its allied militias control east of the river. The bridge, connecting Al-Husayniyah (east of the Euphrates) and Al-Huwayqa (west of the Euphrates), facilitates the transfer of weapons and military supplies across both sides of the river for these militias.
According to sources from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), this Russian measure follows repeated clashes between the US-led International Coalition and Iranian-backed militias affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the area.
The seven villages in the Deir Ezzor countryside—Al-Salihiyah, Hatlah, Khasham, Marat, Tabiyah, Mazlum, and Al-Husayniyah—are under Syrian government control and include local elements connected to Iranian militias. The bridge serves as a strategic link between the city and these villages. Russia’s move aims to assert military control over these villages by restricting entry and exit solely to Russian and government forces, in an effort to de-escalate military tensions in the area.
On Wednesday, two members of local Iranian-aligned militias died from injuries sustained a few days earlier in a US strike near Deir Ezzor Military Airport on Oct. 31, which also injured several others.
In recent days, US forces have conducted daily heavy artillery shelling in the seven villages and areas west of the Euphrates, citing the presence of Iran-backed fighters who are targeting nearby US bases.
Russia had previously requested that the IRGC withdraw Iran-affiliated militias from locations near Deir Ezzor Military Airport and other sites in the city. This request was made during a meeting on Oct. 18 between a Russian military representative in Syria and an IRGC representative in Deir Ezzor, held at a government security facility, according to local media sources.
Russian media indicate that Shoigu’s recent actions have focused on preventing the situation from escalating into a major confrontation, which could significantly harm Russian interests in the region.
Deir Ezzor province and its surroundings have been experiencing increased security instability, which has worsened as Iran and its militias shift their focus toward the conflict in Lebanon and the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah and Iranian forces.