Michael Hernandez
12 December 2024•Update: 12 December 2024
WASHINGTON
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the "the importance of close consultation" between Washington and Tel Aviv regarding events in Syria during a call with his Israeli counterpart Wednesday.
In his call with Israel Katz, Austin told Katz that the US "is closely monitoring events in Syria, supports a peaceful and inclusive political transition, and will continue the mission to prevent ISIS from re-establishing a safe haven on Syrian territory," spokesperson Pat Ryder said in a statement.
"Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of close consultation between the United States and Israel on events in Syria," he added.
The call comes after Israel announced it "temporarily" seized control of a demilitarized buffer zone in the Syrian Golan Heights on Sunday, unilaterally saying the 1974 Disengagement Agreement that established the area as well as the Israeli-Syrian border had "collapsed."
The White House on Tuesday voiced support for the pact, noting Israel's claim that its presence in the buffer zone is temporary. The UN separately declared Israel in violation of the pact.
Earlier on Wednesday, Anadolu captured images of Israeli tanks operating in the Majdal Shams border crossing in the Golan Heights.
The Disengagement Agreement was signed on May 31, 1974 between Syria and Israel in the presence of representatives of the United Nations, the former Soviet Union (Russia now) and the US.
The agreement stipulates Israel’s withdrawal from all of the areas it had occupied during the 1973 war as well as an area of about 25 square kilometers (9.6 square miles) that included Quneitra and other locations.
The agreement defines the current border between Israel and Syria along with the accompanying military arrangements, creating two separation lines -- Israeli (blue) and Syrian (red) -- with a buffer zone between them.
The agreement is monitored by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), as it is tasked with maintaining the cease-fire between Israel and Syria following the 1973 Middle East War.
Turning to the recently-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah, Austin said the agreement "has the potential to create the conditions to restore lasting calm and enable residents on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border to return safely to their homes."
"The Secretary reiterated that the United States is consulting closely with our international partners to support the implementation of the ceasefire," Ryder added.
Austin and Katz also discussed Gaza during their call.
"The Secretary emphasized the U.S. commitment to securing the release of all hostages in Gaza, including U.S. citizens, and urged the Government of Israel to continue to take steps to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza," said Ryder.
