Though Israel was very supportive of the HTS regime change in Syria last month, Tel Aviv is now using that regime change as a pretext for open- ended occupation of more Syrian territory, above and beyond the occupied Golan Heights.

New reports citing unnamed senior Israeli officials express “shock” at Western nations embracing the Islamist leaders of post-Assad Syria, and accuse them of turning a blind eye to hypothetical future risks Syria could pose.

According to these officials, Israel’s plan is to create an occupied “control zone” inside Syria, stretching out 15 km from the already- occupied Golan Heights. This, they say, would prevent any future rocket fire against the Heights.

In addition to this expanded military occupation, Israel intends to have a 60-km deep “sphere of influence” in Syria under the control of Israeli intelligence agencies. The claim is this would prevent future threats from developing.