Israel warns against Iran s military presence in Syria

Jerusalem July 9 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday welcomed the ceasefire in Syria but warned that Israel would not allow Iran and Hezbollah to establish a military presence in the neighbouring country.

"Israel will welcome a genuine ceasefire in Syria " Netanyahu said at his weekly cabinet meeting referring to a ceasefire agreement reached Friday between the US and Russia to quell fighting in southwestern Syria Xinhnua news agency reported.

"This ceasefire must not enable the establishment of a military presence by Iran and its proxies in Syria in general and in southern Syria in particular " he added.

Netanyahu said that Israel will continue to monitor developments beyond its disputed border with Syria "while strongly upholding our red lines."

He explained that these red lines include preventing Hezbollah a Lebanon-based Iran-backed militia that fights along President Bashar Assad s army from growing in Syria.

"Israel will prevent Hezbollah or Iranian forces from establishing a ground presence along our border and prevent the establishment of an Iranian military presence in Syria as a whole " said Netanyahu.

The ceasefire agreement was achieved after meetings between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 conference in Hamburg Germany.

--IANS
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