BICOM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set out three specific demands regarding Syria when he met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday.

Netanyahu told Israeli journalists on Thursday that the three specific demands were the withdrawal of Iranian and Hezbollah forces from the border with Israel, the removal of all Iranian long-range missiles in Syria and that Syrian civilians must not be attacked in the zone near the Israeli border.

Netanyahu said Israel “had no problem with the Assad regime,” adding that “for 40 years, not a single bullet was fired in the Golan Heights”. He said: “I have set a clear policy that we do not interfere and have not interfered. This does not change. What concerns us is Islamic State and Hezbollah, and this remains the same. The heart of the matter is preserving our freedom to act against those who act against us. The second thing is to expel the Iranians from Syrian territory.”

Netanyahu said the Russians have moved Iranian forces “dozens of kilometres” from the Israeli border and there have only been isolated cases of Iranian or Shia militias coming back to the border disguised as Syrian regime forces. The Israeli Prime Minister said he is coordinating with the US about the situation in Syria and that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said recently that US troops should remain in Syria until Iran exits.

As part of Israel’s operation to aid Syrian refugees displaced by the conflict, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have carried out 30 aid deliveries to camps of displaced Syrians inside Syria, transferring 75,000 litres of fuel for heating and generators, 20 medical equipment units, 77 tons of clothing, 556 tents and 142 tonnes of food.

Netanyahu said that Israel “gave them humanitarian assistance” because “they are locals, and they should not be punished for being hungry”.

Earlier this week a senior Israeli officer told Al-Monitor: “At the end of the day, it’s good to have an organised regime as our address in Syria. That was the way it was throughout more than 40 years vis-a-vis the Assad family regime, and we are ready to sign onto another 40 such years. The question is, what will Assad choose? If he will be a partner to renewing all the existing agreements, we’re in favour. But if, at the very same time, he’ll try to inject new external agents into the equation, such as Iran and Hezbollah, then he’ll find himself facing all the firepower and determination that Israel can muster. We won’t let this happen. Syria will not become another Lebanon, Hezbollah won’t be replicated and Iran will not establish long-range missile launchers on Syrian territory.”