Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.
It came after a lightning rebel advance early on Sunday ended Syrian President Bashar Assad’s rule.
Mr Netanyahu said the decades-old agreement had collapsed and Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover to protect Israeli residents.
Israel’s military later warned residents of five southern Syria communities to stay home for their safety.
It did not respond to further requests for comment.
Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied Syrian territory.
