US repeats Israel's 'right to defend itself' after seizure of buffer zone with Syria

The US State Department said on Monday that Israel was acting in self-defence when its military invaded Syrian territory beyond the demilitarised buffer zone, following the removal of the Bashar al-Assad government by rebel groups.

On Sunday, Israeli forces moved from the occupied Golan Heights into a buffer zone between Israel and Syria, saying the end of Assad's rule meant that the 1974 "disengagement agreement" between the two countries had collapsed and "Syrian forces have abandoned their positions".

"I directed the [Israeli military] yesterday to seize the buffer zone and the commanding positions nearby. We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.