IDF attacking port city of Tartus in Syria

Our forces attacked sites this evening (Monday) from the air in the port city of Tartus on the Syrian coast. According to the residents of the area, there are intense flights of Israeli warplanes in Syrian airspace.

Last week, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz confirmed that our forces operated militarily in Syrian territory. The forces arrived in tanks and on foot, crossed the buffer zone in Syria in order to thwart enemy infrastructure and destroy weapons.

During the operation, the forces mined and blew up weapons depots previously used by the Assad regime, as part of the effort to prevent weapons from falling into hostile hands. During the operation, a Hezbollah operative was arrested in the area of Mazra'at Beit Jann, after he tried to get his hands on humanitarian aid.

Defense Minister Katz said last week that "the new regime in Syria attempted for the first time to man positions and outposts in southern Syria—the Air Force struck and hit."

He then added: "We have a great commitment to our Druze friends in Syria. We are considering allowing those nearby to come and work in the Golan Heights on a daily basis and are preparing to provide them with assistance through organizations and various means."

Katz also noted the American administration's stance on the IDF's presence at key strategic points in Lebanon: "We have received a green light from the U.S. to remain indefinitely in the buffer zone in Lebanon."