Israel prepares to establish 40 km buffer zone in Syria

By dispatching reinforcements to the southwestern front, Israel is making its final preparations to establish a buffer zone that is 40 kilometers deep into Syrian territories under the pretext of the increasing wave of refugees and providing security in the region.
During the past 10 days, forces of the Syrian regime have advanced into the opposition-held Daraa province, causing at least 120,000 people to flee their homes toward the Jordanian border and Golan.
As Israel advances in the occupied Golan Heights, reports have surfaced pointing to the possible launching of a ground operation in the area.
Over the past few months, Israel has intensified its strikes against targets in Syria’s southwestern region, as part of a larger plan to establish a “buffer zone” that will be used as a launching pad to occupy additional territories in the region.
Israel seized much of the Golan from Syria in the 1967 war and annexed the strategic plateau, a move not recognized abroad.
The first phase of Israel’s buffer zone project enabled the Israeli army, through humanitarian organizations and military personnel, to gain access to opposition-held areas in return for supplying aid.
Citing Syria’s instability, Israel has sought U.S. endorsement for its claim of sovereignty over the Golan. A senior Netanyahu cabinet minister said in May that the Trump administration could soon oblige. Washington has not commented on the matter.
Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.