U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz toured Israel’s northern border region on Tuesday, accompanied by Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon.
The two diplomats visited Old Quneitra near the Syrian border while wearing protective gear and received briefings on regional threats.
2 View gallery
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, right, and Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon tour the border
(Photo: Miri Shimonovitch)
According to information obtained by ynet, a riot broke out just hundreds of feet from their location as they were returning to their vehicles. Israeli troops reportedly encountered unrest involving Syrian civilians during an attempt to apprehend a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative. The incident included stone-throwing and what the IDF described as “warning fire.” The ambassadors did not witness the exchange directly.
Danon was immediately briefed by the local IDF commander and updated Waltz during their visit. The two also received operational briefings and assessments of threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iranian-backed groups operating in Syria.
Their northern tour included observation points at Misgav Am and Mount Bental, and a meeting with a senior officer from the UNDOF peacekeeping force on the Golan Heights. Earlier, they had also toured southern Israel.
During the tour, Danon commented on the threats along Israel’s borders: “On the Lebanese front, we see the IDF’s determination in the face of Hezbollah’s buildup and the Iranian threat operating through its proxies. Along the Syrian border, we face additional challenges stemming from regional instability.” He also criticized the recent UN Security Council delegation to the area, calling its reports “one-sided, distorted and far from the reality we saw on the ground today.”
Meanwhile, Syrian media published footage from the incident near Khan Arnabah, close to Quneitra, showing armed Syrian regime forces in pickup trucks near IDF military vehicles. At least two Syrian civilians were reportedly injured.
The IDF confirmed the use of warning shots following stone-throwing at soldiers, who then withdrew to a secure position. Syrian reports also described a local protest in Khan Arnabah and drone activity in the area. Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli reacted to the footage, writing, “War is inevitable.”
Syrian regime forces driving past IDF vehicles near the town of Khan Arnabeh, in the Syrian-controlled section of the Golan Heights
The incident occurred a day after Waltz met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder. According to U.S. sources, Netanyahu expressed deep skepticism about the potential for international forces to demilitarize Hamas and criticized recent remarks by Trump’s Syria envoy, Tom Barrack, who told the Doha Forum that “I don’t see a democracy anywhere. Israel can claim to be a democracy, but in this region, whether you like it or not, what has worked best is, in fact, a benevolent monarchy.”
Netanyahu reportedly told Waltz, “He’s completely lost it. He prefers monarchy over democracy? He’s pushing Turkey’s interests in the region.”
Earlier Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s Office dismissed Arab media reports claiming that Israel and Syria had reached a security agreement. “The report is complete fake news,” the statement said, though it confirmed there had been U.S.-brokered talks without any agreements.