<article data-history-node-id="432411" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/netanyahu-says-israel-will-keep-syrian-territories-it-seized" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/netanyahu-says-israel-will-keep-syrian-territories-it-seized" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Netanyahu says Israel will keep Syrian territories it seized</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p data-testid="rich-text">Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will remain in the territories it seized in Syria, Haaretz reported.</p> <p data-testid="rich-text">"We very much hope that we will be able to reach a demilitarisation agreement for southern Syria and also take care of our Druze brothers," Netanyahu said at a meeting with Israeli ambassadors.</p> <p data-testid="rich-text">"But we want to keep these assets," he added.</p> <p data-testid="rich-text">His comments came after&nbsp;Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/syria-president-accuses-israel-exporting-crises-distract-gaza-massacres">reiterated his call</a> for Israel to withdraw from territories seized by Israel since December last year, and said&nbsp;negotiations were underway with the United States for an Israeli withdrawal.</p> <p>Israeli forces crossed into southern Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad&nbsp;government on 8 December 2024, and continue to occupy a United Nations buffer zone - the strategic heights of Mount Hermon - which overlooks Israel, Lebanon and Syria.</p> </div> </div> </article>