Al Arabiya: Russia handed over facilities to Israel in the Golan Heights area

Russia has handed over to Israel two facilities in the Syrian province of Daraa, which borders the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, Al Arabiya reports, citing an Arab source. According to the TV channel, Israel also received an observatory for observation on Mount Tel Al-Hara.

Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the opening of a front in Syria. Israeli forces occupied Mount Hermon from the Syrian side in the Golan Heights, from where the Syrian army withdrew, Israeli and Arab media reported. N12 TV channel noted that "in fact, this is the first IDF presence in the area after the Yom Kippur War."

Prior to that, Israeli forces moved into the buffer zone in the Golan Heights area. This territory has been under Israeli control since 1967. The Israeli army entered the buffer zone after reports of the capture of Damascus by Syrian rebels.

On December 8, the IDF declared several areas in the Golan Heights a closed military zone. On the night of December 9, the Israeli army lifted restrictions "in accordance with the assessment of the situation conducted by the Northern Command."

Israel also attacked Damascus — in particular, the Mazze area, Reuters reported. The target was a research center, which, as the Israeli side suspects, was used by Iran to develop long-range missiles. Also, according to agency sources, the Israeli Air Force hit the Khalkhala airbase in southern Syria.