Israel’s military has seized a strategic mountain top in its contested border area with Syria and advanced on positions beyond it, reshaping the frontier potentially for the long term.

Israel will hold on to swaths of land that formerly served as a buffer zone with Syria — with no plans for exiting the demilitarized region despite international outcry. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a trip on Tuesday to Mount Hermon — the highest peak in the 155-square-mile chunk of land nabbed by the IDF

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, entered Syrian territory Tuesday and said Israeli troops would remain in the area

The Israeli military hit weapons depots and air defenses, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Israel has said it aims to keep military equipment away from extremists.

Since the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad abruptly fell earlier this month, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes, including around the capital, Damascus, that it says are aimed at destroying strategic weapons and military infrastructure.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday that there was a "flame of hope" in Syria following the fall of president Bashar al-Assad's regime but warned of significant challenges ahead."The Middle East is being consumed by many fires,