Israel takes control of Golan Heights buffer zone after Assad's departure

Israel has taken control of a demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights following the fall of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the 1974 disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel has "collapsed." Rebel groups have quickly taken over several Syrian cities, including Damascus, leading to Assad's departure from the country. Reports suggest he may have received asylum in Russia. The Israeli Defense Forces have advised residents of five Syrian villages in the buffer zone to stay indoors. Netanyahu described the situation as a "temporary defensive position" while expressing a desire for peaceful relations with new forces in Syria.