Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday Israel ‘’is not intervening in the Syrian civil war as long as fire is not being directed at us,’’ adding that the the crumbling of the UN force on the Golan heights ‘’underscores the fact that Israel cannot depend on international forces for its security.’’
The Israeli foreign ministry was notified Friday by its Austrian counterpart about the decision of the Austrian government to withdraw their soldiers from UNDOF, the United Nations forces stationed between Israel and Syria.
’While appreciating Austria's longtime contribution and commitment to peacekeeping in the Middle East, we nevertheless regret this decision and hope that it will not be conducive to further escalation in the region,’’ the ministry.
The Austrian decision to withdraw its troops came after battles between Syrian troops and rebels near Quneitra, the border crossing between Israel and Syria.