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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement denouncing the Israeli leader’s tour of Mount Hermon, which lies in a security zone Israeli forces have held since the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024. According to the ministry, the move represented a blatant infringement on Syrian territorial integrity and international law. The statement expressed the kingdom’s total rejection of such actions, which it said intimidate civilians and undermine efforts to preserve security across the region. It further called on Israel to adhere strictly to the terms of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
Netanyahu was accompanied by Defence Minister Israel Katz during the September 9 visit, where the pair received operational briefings from senior military commanders, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said. The premier stated that Israel would not permit any terror army to establish itself on its border, describing the area as under unprecedented control from the Hermon summit to surrounding territories. He also claimed Israel was very close to defeating Iran’s government, asserting that the entire axis of proxy groups would ultimately collapse, according to reports from Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry separately condemned what it termed the illegal entry, labeling the tour of Mount Hermon a provocative breach of its sovereignty, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported. Damascus has maintained that Israeli forces have conducted approximately 1,600 incursions into its territory since the fall of the previous regime, resulting in arrests and heightened tensions in areas such as Quneitra and Daraa. The Saudi statement aligned with these concerns by renewing support for Syria’s unity and calling for an end to repeated violations.
The 1974 Disengagement Agreement, which established a buffer zone monitored by the United Nations for decades, has come under strain following Israel’s expansion of its security presence in southern Syria after December 2024, regional diplomatic sources noted. Saudi Arabia has consistently urged respect for that framework in prior statements addressing similar incidents, including condemnations issued in March, June and August 2026. The ministry’s latest position emphasized that halting such incursions is essential to maintaining broader stability in the area.
International responses have included calls from other Arab states for the United Nations Security Council to address repeated Israeli actions in Syria, according to coverage by L’Orient Today and Dawn. The Saudi ministry reiterated its backing for Damascus in safeguarding its borders and pursuing internal stability without external interference. Netanyahu’s visit coincided with ongoing regional tensions, including Israel’s operations against Iranian-linked targets, as detailed in multiple accounts from Middle East Monitor.
