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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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Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
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Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)

A comparison of the current human and material losses from the ongoing Hezbollah-Israel conflict with those from the July 2006 war shows that current losses have doubled.

Experts warn that the reconstruction funds and aid pledged to Lebanon 18 years ago may have limited impact once the war ends.

Total Losses

Mohammad Shamseddine, a researcher from Information International, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the death toll has risen from 900 in 2006 to 2,865 in the current conflict (as of October 31, 2024), with the number increasing daily. The number of wounded was 4,000 in 2006, but it has now exceeded 13,047.

In 2006, 600,000 people were displaced, while today that number has surpassed 1.2 million. Of these, 189,174 are in shelters. A total of 358,133 Syrians and 172,604 Lebanese have fled to Syria, and 120,000 have sought refuge in other countries.

Lebanese Economy and Trade Minister Amin Salam estimated that Lebanon’s total economic losses from the current conflict have reached $20 billion. However, economic associations report direct losses between $10 billion and $12 billion, covering damage to key sectors, homes, buildings, and infrastructure.

These figures align with estimates from Shamseddine, who believes direct and indirect losses are around $10 billion.

Of this, $4 billion occurred from October 8, 2023, to September 17, 2024 (when the conflict was mostly limited to the south), and $7 billion from September 17 to October 31, 2024, after Israel expanded the war. For comparison, losses during the 2006 war totaled $5.3 billion.

In 2006, infrastructure damage was valued at $900 million, higher than the current war's $570 million in infrastructure losses.

Housing losses in 2006 totaled $2.2 billion, while they have now surpassed $4.26 billion. Mohammad Shamseddine points out that commercial losses were similar in both conflicts, at $4.7 million.

Agricultural and environmental losses in 2006 were $450 million, but now exceed $900 million. Indirect economic damages were $1.2 billion in 2006, while they have now surpassed $3.38 billion.

One notable difference is the number of airstrikes: from October 8, 2023, to October 31, 2024, there were 11,647, compared to just 3,670 during the 33-day 2006 war.