Israel may need to defend itself or strike in “at any moment” the Israel Defense Forces-controlled security zone in southern Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to the area on Wednesday with other top officials.

“We attribute enormous importance to our defensive and offensive ability here; it’s a mission that could develop at any moment,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office.

According to the PMO, the high-level delegation that accompanied Netanyahu also included Defense Minister Israel Katz; Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar; IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir; Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) director David Zini; and Yechiel Leiter, Israeli ambassador to the United States.

Netanyahu also noted the importance Israel a

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