Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the disarmament of Daraa, Suwayda, and Quneitra in southern Syria, saying the new Syrian administration should not enter these provinces, Enabbaldi reported.

Since the fall of the previous Syrian regime on December 2024, Israel has expanded its military presence in southern Syria, destroying several military installations across the country. The Israeli army has stationed itself at multiple sites beyond the buffer zone, arguing that its presence is essential for national security. Satellite imagery has revealed that the Israeli military has established seven new bases inside the buffer zone along the Syrian border with the occupied Golan Heights. 

Speaking at an officer graduation ceremony on February 23. Netanyahu said that neither Hayaat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) nor the newly formed Syrian Army would be allowed to operate south of Damascus.

“We will not allow forces from the HTS organisation or the new Syrian army to enter the area south of Damascus,” Netanyahu said

He stressed that all weapons should be removed from these areas and the new government forces should not be deployed there.

Netanyahu said that the Israeli military would remain stationed around Mount Hermon and in the security buffer zone indefinitely, claiming this was necessary to protect Israeli towns and eliminate any potential threats.

He specifically assured that Israel would not tolerate any danger to the Druze community in southern Syria.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz echoed Netanyahu’s stance. He said that Israel is closely monitoring the situation in Syria.

He warned that the Israeli military would not permit hostile forces to establish a presence in the security zone from southern Syria to Damascus and would take action against any perceived threats.

Katz also referred to the local population in southern Syria as "friends" and highlighted Israel’s intention to strengthen relations with the Druze community, whom he described as “brothers” to the Druze citizens who serve in the Israeli military.

According to the report, the seven Israeli military positions are located in Mount Hermon, Hader, Jaba al-Khashab, al-Hamidiyah, Quneitra city, al-Qahtaniyah, and Tel Kodneh.

Earlier in December, Katz ordered the creation of a "sterile security zone" in southern Syria without permanent Israeli presence, bnm IntelliNews previously reported. 

"Together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, I have instructed the Israel Defence Forces to establish a sterile security zone, free from weapons and terrorist threats, in southern Syria without permanent Israeli presence," Katz said during a visit to an Israeli naval base in Haifa, according to N14 television channel.

The Golan Heights, which belonged to Syria since 1944, was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel's parliament unilaterally declared sovereignty over the territory in 1981; a move declared invalid by UN Security Council Resolution 497.