Tel Aviv, 8 December 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the end of Bashar al-Assad's rule in Syria means important "opportunity" as well as risks for Israel.

Netanyahu said Israel is interested in "neighbourly relations" with Syria, but also in making sure "that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel."

During a visit to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights accompanied by Defence Minister Israel Katz, Netanyahu said this "historic day" for the Middle East was a "direct result of our forceful action against Hezbollah and Iran."

This had triggered a "chain reaction" in the Middle East, Netanyahu said. He recalled the treatment of numerous Syrian war casualties in Israeli hospitals. He said that Israel was offering its hand to all those who were interested in peace with Israel.

Photo: MIA archive