In a historic and highly provocative move, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, became the first Israeli leader to set foot inside the Syrian portion of the Golan Heights demilitarized zone since its establishment half a century ago. Accompanied by the country’s entire top security cabinet, he landed by helicopter at a newly fortified IDF outpost, inspected artillery positions overlooking Damascus, and told assembled troops that Israel now possesses “full freedom of operation” across the entire Mount Hermon ridge and southern Syria to protect its borders and Druze communities.The visit took place almost exactly one year after Israeli forces moved into the UN-patrolled buffer zone following the lightning collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024. Israel has since expanded its hold to more than 450 square kilometres, built permanent roads and observation towers, and declared the area a closed military zone under indefinite Israeli control.Syria’s new government immediately condemned the trip as “a declaration of war” and “flagrant aggression,” filing an urgent complaint with the UN Security Council. Syria’s ambassador accused Israel of trying to “annex Syrian land by force” and demanded an emergency session. The United Nations described the prime minister’s highly publicised visit as a “serious violation” of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and warned that it “undermines the entire separation-of-forces regime.” Several Council members, including Russia, China and Algeria, called for immediate sanctions.Regional leaders were equally scathing. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan labelled it “state terrorism,” while Qatar’s emir, visiting Damascus the same day, reaffirmed that normalisation with Israel is impossible while “even one centimetre of Syrian soil remains occupied.”Inside Israel, the visit was presented as a message of strength ahead of possible negotiations with the new Syrian leadership. Defence officials say Israel will withdraw only in exchange for iron-clad security guarantees and the permanent demilitarisation of southern Syria — terms Damascus has so far rejected outright.As tensions spike along the once-quiet ceasefire line, diplomatic sources say the gap between the two sides remains “unbridgeable,” raising fears that Netanyahu’s symbolic boots-on-the-ground moment could ignite a new phase of confrontation in an already volatile region.