Netanyahu’s Visit to Syria Buffer Zone Sparks Global Criticism and Tensions

Damascus: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s entry into the Syrian border buffer zone, along with top officials, has triggered fresh debates and concerns in international diplomatic circles. On November 19, Netanyahu crossed into the buffer region accompanied by Defence Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and senior intelligence, military, and diplomatic personnel.

Media outlets described the move as an “unexpected incursion” by the Israeli leadership. With talks on an Israel–Syria security agreement moving slowly, analysts see the visit as a strategic warning aimed at both Syria and the United States. The timing was especially notable, coming soon after Syria’s interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa visited the White House in November.

Netanyahu’s move is also being viewed as a response to the renewed closeness between Washington and Damascus. His team’s entry into the buffer zone took place just a day after Israeli media reported a lack of progress in the ongoing security negotiations between Israel and Syria.

Syria has been demanding a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Syrian territories captured after the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024. Israel has outright rejected this demand, bringing negotiations to a standstill.

Adding to the deadlock, Israel has insisted on a 30-kilometre demilitarized zone stretching from Damascus to the Jordanian border in the eastern Hauran region. Israel presented this condition as necessary to protect the Druze population living between the Golan Heights and the Druze villages of Sweida, further complicating negotiations.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned Netanyahu’s visit, calling it “illegal and a violation of international law.” The statement added that the visit infringed on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and went against United Nations Security Council resolutions. The ministry declared that “all Israeli actions in southern Syria are null and void and legally invalid.”

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Fuad Al-Majali, also criticized the visit, calling it an “unacceptable intrusion.” Gulf nations including Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia similarly denounced the move, stating that it violated international laws and norms.

The incident has cast a fresh shadow over already fragile peace efforts in the region, raising concerns about renewed conflict and geopolitical realignments in West Asia.