Exploiting disarray in Syria, Israel grabs more of the Golan Heights

The incursions are neither justified nor necessary.

The row of square grey forts slung across the horizon is a reminder of the days when Israel prepared for an onslaught by Syrian armored divisions from the Golan Heights. That last happened in the Yom Kippur War, in 1973, when the Syrian army almost broke through. That army was once one of the most powerful in the Middle East. Yet it has been many years since it was that formidable.

On Dec 7, what was left of the Syrian units that had manned the ceasefire lines for half a century just melted away. In their place arrived a ragtag group of local rebel groups, which put up no resistance the next day when Israeli tanks advanced, taking up positions in what had been a buffer zone. A team of Israeli commandos captured the empty Syrian observation post on Jabal al-Shaykh, which, at 2,814m, is the highest peak of the Hermon range.

The Israeli air force also launched strikes throughout Syria, destroying what Israeli military officials said were "strategic warehouses" containing chemical weapons - which the Assad regime used against rebels on scores of occasions - as well as long-range missiles and anti-aircraft systems. Israel wants to prevent these weapons from being smuggled to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed movement in Lebanon, or being seized by rebel groups potentially hostile to Israel.

Once the scene of pitched battles, the Golan is considered by the government to be a crucial asset for Israel's national security. The heights overlook four countries: Syria, Israel, Lebanon and Jordan. Israel has occupied its western part since 1967.