Trend Update: Ceasefire Holding Near Golan Heights, July 2017
Isaiah 2:13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up, against all the oaks of Bashan…
Bashan is the modern day Golan Heights. This would be the area in the far north east corner of modern day Israel. This place is south of modern day Damascus, Syria. Geographical land marks would include a region east of the Jordan River and north of the Arnon River. This territory extended from Gilead in the south to Mount Hermon on the north.
The following groups are currently located in the Golan region: Syrian Government forces supported by Russia, ISIS, rebel forces supported by the United States, and Israeli forces.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin and the United States’ Donald Trump agreed to a cease fire in southwest Syria on July 7, 2017. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attended the meeting as well as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Tillerson said there was a “defined agreement” between the parties. The meeting between Trump and Putin lasted two hours and 16 minutes.
“This is our first indication of the US and Russia being able to work together in Syria,” Tillerson said.
The ceasefire started in the de-escalation zone at noon Damascus time, July 9, 2017.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/07/politics/syria-ceasefire-us-russia-tillerson/index.html
July 10, 2017: UN peace talks regarding Syria started in Geneva. The ceasefire has generally held despite “teething problems”.
The ceasefire is for three provinces in southern Syria. Four “de-escalation zones” or “baskets” have been established. But these baskets have not been implemented or enforced.
The sticking point in the negotiations is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“The specter that is hanging over all of that is the fate of Bashar al-Assad. I think it is fair to say that this is one area where the two sides are still diametrically opposed – whether Assad should be allowed to stay or whether he should go,” Al Jazeera’s Sue Turton.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has expressed concern about Iran and its terrorist proxies Hezbollah from moving into the region during the ceasefire. Hezbollah is from Lebanon. Israel wants the United States and Russia to enforce a buffer zone in southwest Syria. 
“I had deep discussions about this last week with US Secretary of State Tillerson and with Russian Vladimir Putin. Both told me that they understand Israel’s position and will take our demands into account,” Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“For our part, we will continue to monitor developments beyond our borders while strongly upholding our red lines: prevent the strengthening of Hezbollah via Syria, with emphasis on the acquisition of precision weapons; prevent Hezbollah — or Iranian forces — from establishing a ground presence along our border; and prevent the establishment of an Iranian military presence in Syria as a whole,” Benjamin Netanyahu.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/09/middleeast/syria-ceasefire-begins/index.html
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