But defense minister says his nation won’t abide by the truce
A ceasefire in southern Syria has largely held since coming into effect Sunday. The U.S.- and Russian-led initiative, also involving key regional players such as Jordan (and, quietly, Israel), followed a two hour face-to-face meeting at the G-20 summit between President Donald J. Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the leaders’ first such encounter.
The truce agreement covers the provinces of Sweida, Deraa – straddling Jordan’s northern border – and Quneitra – located on the Syrian side of Golan Heights – regions now being referred to as “de-escalation zones.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Putin ahead of the deal, with the Kremlin describing the phone conversation as having taken place within “the context of joint efforts against international terrorism.”
For his part, Netanyahu “welcome[ed] the efforts to achieve a stable, long-term and real ceasefire in Syria” at the beginning of Sunday’s weekly Cabinet meeting. “Anything that will stop the horrible slaughter there is important, first and foremost from a humanitarian standpoint,” Netanyahu declared.
The Israeli premier then reemphasized his so-called “red lines” on Syria, saying, “We will not agree to the supply of advanced weaponry to Hizbullah, from Syria to Lebanon. We will not agree to the creation of a second terrorist front in the Golan.”
Netanyahu stressed the requirement that Iran and Hizbullah, neither of which were directly involved in devising the current ceasefire, be prevented from using Syrian territory to threaten Israel militarily; specifically, through the buildup of foreign forces along the shared border or any permanent Iranian military presence in Syria.
The premier said that both Putin and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson “understand Israel’s position and will take our demands into account.”
If overall Netanyahu played “good cop,” Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman was more emphatic, definitively stating that “Israel reserves its complete freedom of action, regardless of any understandings or developments.… Our freedom of action is absolute. We will do everything that is needed.”
Israel on numerous occasions has been accused of conducting air strikes in Syria targeting weapons convoys destined for Hizbullah in Lebanon. The Israeli government, which previously refused comment on its military activities in Syria, for the first time admitted to such air raids earlier this year.
Israel also maintains the policy of holding the Syrian regime responsible for any errant fire into Israel. In such cases, it responds militarily by targeting Syrian government assets along the border, or current “de-escalation zone.” The interplay of all these factors, made all the more acute when viewed within the context of the competing interests in Syria, have to date precluded any enduring truce during the six-year-long war.
In this respect, Moshe Maoz, a Middle East Expert at Hebrew University, told The Media Line that he “doubt[s] Iran and Hizbullah will comply with [the truce], and if they attack Israel, Israel will fire back.”
More generally, Maoz highlights the failure of previously agreed to ceasefires, which he attributes to the continued support for, and arming of, anti-Assad rebels by regional countries, along with the uncompromising nature of Iran, Hizbullah and, of course, the Assad regime. This is compounded by the general chaotic nature of conflict, which is especially severe in Syria due to the multitude of semi-autonomous groups battling on the ground.
Despite past experience, some are optimistic.
One Syrian refugee, presently living in the United Arab Emirates, told The Media Line on the condition anonymity, “As long as a ceasefire is implemented by the parties involved in the Syrian conflict, including Russia, the United States, Jordan, the opposition and the Syrian government, I believe this will be a success because I feel like those involved are sincere in the desire to stop fighting and start negotiating.”
Given the longtime carnage in Syria, the immediate benefits of even a temporary truce are clear to the Syrian we spoke to: “This ceasefire will encourage the construction of trust and mutual understanding between the opposing parties – giving hope to Syrian refugees around the world dreaming of returning home. I have hope,” he stated.
The current ceasefire follows a recent 24-hour truce, agreed to by opposition groups, that was broken by a Syrian government attack on Deraa. The latest deal is nonetheless generating renewed optimism due to Washington’s potentially growing influence in Syrian peace negotiations.