Villagers say they worry that incursions into border areas of Syria by Israel’s military could turn into a prolonged occupation. Israel says the raids are needed to protect the border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will maintain an indefinite military presence at the peak of Mount Hermon and in the buffer zone along the Syrian border. The Israel Defense Forces "will remain at the top of Mount Hermon and the buffer zone indefinitely to protect our settlements and thwart any threat,

Syria's new President Ahmed al-Sharaa met China's ambassador to Damascus in the first public engagement between the two countries since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December, Syrian state media said on Friday.

Israel also offered humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, as well as the establishment of medical centers for the welfare of the residents of the region.

Israel has already had a long history of passing on Russian weapons it captured off the numerous battlefields of the Middle East.