RUSSIA RESFUSED ISRAELI DEMAND OF 60KM BUFFER ZONE AGAINST IRANIAN-BACKED FORCES IN SOUTHERN SYRIA

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The US and Russia rejected an Israeli request to prevent the presence of any Iranian forces or Iranian-backed militias near the Israeli border as a part of the ceasefire agreement in south Syria, the Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to the report, Israel demanded to create a 60-80km wide buffer zone inside Syria against Iranian-backed forces. The supposed buffer zone would spread from the Golan Heights to the west of the Damascus-al-Suwayda highway in southwestern Syria.

Israel proposed its idea to Russia and the US during the talks that preceded the cease-fire agreement in southern Syria. According to the report, Russia refused the Israeli proposal, while the US didn’t back it for real mostly.

However, Russia promised Israel that the Iranians and their allies will not move any closer to Israel than five kilometers in the areas held by the Syrian government. The report noted that no Iranian presence was notified on the frontline with Syria for months now.

So far no real attacks have been launched against Israel by Iranian forces or Iranian backed militias from inside the Syrian territories. However, Israel insists that the Iranian deployment in Syria is a great threat to it.

Israel is likely trying to make a place for itself in any possible political solution for the Syrian crisis. For Israel this could happen by making it self a side a negotiations over the future of Syria.

Another option is to participate in the war. Israel used this in Lebanon in 1982 to impose a peace treaty on the Lebanese government. However, it’s ended up very bad for Israel back then.

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