Israeli occupation army minister Israel Katz issued a sharp warning to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in response to his remarks during his speech before the UN General Assembly, in which he affirmed that the Golan "will remain Syrian land."
Katz said Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights is "non-negotiable," stressing that Israel, according to his position, will not return to the security situation that existed before the recent developments in Syria.
Katz added: "My clear message to the Syrian president who made arrogant statements from the UN podium: the Golan Heights, under Israeli sovereignty, is an integral part of the state of Israel forever."
The Israeli occupation army minister addressed previous agreements between "Israel" and Syria, saying: "We will not withdraw from Mount Hermon and the security zone we seized in 1973, which was handed over to Syria under the 1974 disengagement agreement, under conditions that were violated, after Syria turned into an Iranian base and a threat to our borders."
Regarding the Israeli military presence inside Syrian territory, Katz said the Israeli army entered the Mount Hermon area and the security zone after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, with the aim, according to his account, of preventing jihadist threats against Israel.
He added: "After Assad's fall, the Israeli army entered the Mount Hermon area and the security zone in Syria to prevent jihadist threats from you and your supporters against the state of Israel, and the Israeli occupation army will remain there as long as there is a jihadist threat to the borders and Israeli towns, whether from your security forces or from other jihadist organizations and groups in Syria."
At the end of his remarks, Katz warned Damascus against escalation, saying: "If they attack our forces or the territory of the state of Israel from Syria, we will have to act and respond, and any lands we seize this time will remain ours forever, in accordance with the laws of war."
He added: "We will not allow Syria to become a threat to the state of Israel, and we will work to prevent that to the necessary extent."
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had affirmed in his speech before the UN General Assembly that the Golan will remain Syrian land, calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the areas they entered inside Syrian territory.
He also said that opportunities for achieving peace and security with "Israel" are available to those who wish to live in peace, within the framework of a just peace that preserves the rights of all parties.
Katz's remarks come amid continued disagreement between Damascus and Tel Aviv over the Israeli military presence in the buffer zone and the Golan, at a time when contacts and talks are underway with American mediation between the two sides regarding security arrangements.
