Israel has replaced a military division on the Golan Heights, which had been deployed to the occupied region for 40 years. The 210th Regional Bashan Division has replaced the 36th Armor Division on the Golan Heights and the Har Dov sector, the Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday. The Israeli daily called the 36th Armor Divisions move away from the Syrian border a historic military shift. The 210th Division has been mastering the militarys intelligence and firepower capabilities that may be needed to deal with future threats from Syria, the daily said. Speaking from the Golan Heights on Sunday, the Israeli militarys Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, said that the Israeli side of the border looks serene, but that underneath the quiet, a storm is raging. Gantz also said, We are maintaining operational readiness. The Israeli regime captured the Golan from Syria in 1967. Security sources say the Israeli military is also working on ways to enter the Syrian territory. Earlier this week, a senior military commander admitted to contacts between Tel Aviv and foreign-backed militants in Syria. Since March 2011, when the conflict in Syria erupted, hundreds of militants have received treatment in Israeli hospitals. Most of them return to Syria after the treatment. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the injured militants in a field hospital in Golan. Muhammad Badie, a Syrian opposition leader thanked Netanyahu for his support. /

• published: 02 Mar 2014
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