Israeli researcher Hayi Cohen said Tuesday that the Israeli occupation and Russia are cooperating in Syria, with the former seeking to prevent Russian forces from withdrawing. According to Cohen, this effort aims to curb Turkish influence in Syria and the eastern Mediterranean.

In an article published by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Cohen noted that Turkey is particularly concerned about two key issues in its relations with the Israeli occupation. The first is the Israeli occupation forces’ activities regarding the Druze population in southern Syria and the establishment of an Israeli buffer zone between the occupied Golan Heights and Damascus, which he claims is intended to function as a Druze autonomous region.