Syria: Putin will grant asylum to Assad in Russia, says Kremlin

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters Monday that Israeli forces “attacked strategic weapons networks, residual chemical weapons capabilities, long-range missiles and rockets” in Syria for prevent them from falling into the hands of “extremist elements”.

Israeli forces have struck inside Syria and occupied positions on Syrian territory in recent days, as rebel forces – some with roots in jihadist organizations – have stormed into major Syrian cities and rushed the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Damascus.

The Israeli army announced on Sunday that it had taken up positions in the demilitarized buffer zone between Israel and Syria established by a 1974 bilateral agreement.

Saar said the presence of “armed men” in the area and their alleged attacks on United Nations positions motivated the Israeli decision to cross the border.

Saar said Israeli deployments in the buffer zone are “targeted and temporary” and aim to prevent an “October 7 scenario from Syria”, referring to the devastating Hamas infiltration attack in southern Israel last year.

-Jordana Miller and Dana Savir of ABC News