The Mountain That Encapsulates the History of Conflict in the Levant

From the “Mountain of Snow” and “Hermon” to the “Eyes of the Nation”: Why Has This Mountain Remained at the Heart of the Geography of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel?

Mount Hermon is more than a towering mountain range stretching across the geography of the Levant, and more than a snow-covered peak visible from great distances. For centuries, the mountain has carried different names, some associated with its imposing height and others with its symbolic and religious significance. In the modern era, it has become one of the most sensitive locations on the region’s political and military map.

Mount Hermon returned to the center of attention amid recent developments in southern Syria, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inspected Israeli forces stationed in the area and declared that Israel was, in his words, “very close” to bringing down the Iranian regime and that “the entire axis will collapse.”

At the same time, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Israeli forces would remain inside the security zone, addressing a direct message to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The visit and the Israeli statements prompted condemnation from Damascus, with the Syrian Foreign Ministry describing Netanyahu’s entry into Syrian territory as “illegitimate” and “provocative,” and as a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Yet behind these contemporary political and military developments lies a mountain whose history stretches far beyond the borders of modern states and their conflicts.

Mount Hermon: The “Mountain of Snow” and “Hermon”

Mount Hermon lies between Syria and Lebanon and forms an important part of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. The mountainous area extends from the Syrian town of Banyas and the Hula Valley in the south and southwest toward Wadi al-Qarn in the north and northeast.

To the east and south, the mountain is bordered by Wadi al-Ajam, the al-Ballan region, villages in the western countryside of Damascus, and the Golan Heights. To the north and west, it is connected to the southern part of the Beqaa Valley and Wadi al-Taym in Lebanon.

Mount Hermon has four peaks, the highest reaching approximately 2,814 meters, while the other peaks range between 2,145 and 2,294 meters.

The mountain’s name is linked not only to its elevation but also to the snow that covers its summit, giving rise to the Arabic name “Mountain of Snow.” The name “Hermon,” meanwhile, is of Canaanite origin and is associated in Arabic with the concepts of a sanctuary or a sacred place.

The mountain’s names themselves thus reflect layers of history and civilization accumulated across the Levant.

A Mountain Overlooking the Region

The significance of Mount Hermon begins with its location and elevation.

From its heights, extensive areas of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel can be observed, while the mountain’s visual range also extends toward parts of Jordan. It overlooks Damascus, the Syrian Desert, the Golan Heights, and the Hauran plains, as well as southern Lebanon, the western Lebanese mountain range, and the Beqaa Valley.

The mountain is approximately 39 kilometers from Damascus, adding to its strategic importance for whoever controls it.

This is why Mount Hermon has been referred to in Israel as the “Eyes of the Nation,” a description reflecting its importance to early-warning and surveillance systems. Military and monitoring facilities have been established on its heights, providing the ability to observe large parts of the surrounding region.

Strategic experts argue that control of these heights allows for the deployment of advanced radar, surveillance, and communications systems, giving the controlling power a greater capacity to monitor developments across neighboring areas.

A History of Occupation and Recapture

The story of Mount Hermon did not begin with the recent developments in Syria.

During the June 1967 war, Israeli forces seized the summit of the mountain and established an early-warning unit there, intended to monitor and intercept electronic and signals activity, particularly communications associated with Damascus.

The October 1973 war, however, altered the situation. Syrian forces regained control of the summit, while Soviet personnel dismantled the early-warning equipment installed there and transferred it to Moscow, according to accounts cited by strategic experts.

Israeli forces later regained control of the summit during what became known as the “Second Battle of Mount Hermon,” before the area was incorporated into the arrangements established by the Syrian-Israeli Disengagement Agreement signed in May 1974.

Under the agreement, the area was divided into different zones for the deployment of Syrian and Israeli forces, as well as United Nations personnel responsible for monitoring the disengagement.

These arrangements, however, did not prevent subsequent violations, including increases in military deployments and breaches of the designated lines of deployment.

After Assad’s Fall: A Different Landscape

With the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, developments in southern Syria entered a new phase.

Israeli forces moved into the area and carried out hundreds of strikes against Syrian military sites, while Israeli deployments extended beyond the areas defined by the previous disengagement arrangements, according to the material.

Experts argue that the significance of the current developments goes beyond control of a single mountain summit. Rather, it concerns the reshaping of the security environment in southern Syria.

Whoever controls Mount Hermon does not merely possess a high-altitude position. They control a vantage point overlooking large areas of Syrian, Lebanese, and Israeli territory, while also lying relatively close to the Syrian capital.

From this perspective, the summit resembles a vast natural platform for surveillance, monitoring, and early warning.

The Mountain and Water: Another Dimension of Its Importance

The strategic value of Mount Hermon, however, is not limited to security and military considerations.

The mountain is also an important natural water reservoir for the region. Its considerable elevation makes it one of the areas most exposed to rain and snowfall, while meltwater from its slopes feeds springs and water sources in the surrounding areas.

This hydrological system is connected to several sources and rivers that eventually flow into the Jordan River, including the Hasbani and Banias rivers.

Water specialists point out that control of the elevated area can provide the controlling power with greater capacity to monitor surface and groundwater resources and influence the surrounding water environment. At the same time, according to the material, official Israeli statements have linked the military presence to security considerations rather than to the objective of gaining control over additional water resources.

Water thus adds another dimension to the mountain’s significance, turning it into a meeting point between security, geography, and natural resources.

Nature Beyond Politics

Beneath the snow line, Mount Hermon supports a relatively rich natural environment, including vineyards and stands of pine, oak, and poplar trees.

The snow that may cover its peaks for much of the year is not merely a picturesque feature that inspired the mountain’s historical name. It is also an important component of the region’s ecological and hydrological system.

Here lies one of Mount Hermon’s striking paradoxes: a landscape that appears from a distance to be a tranquil natural tableau conceals one of the most tense points in the geography of the Middle East.

Between Geography and Memory

Few locations in the Levant bring together so many layers of historical, geographical, and political significance in a single place.

Mount Hermon is part of overlapping Syrian, Lebanese, Palestinian, and Israeli memories. At the same time, it is a natural landscape associated with water, snow, and agriculture; a place with ancient religious and civilizational significance; and, in the twentieth century, a highly sensitive military position.

The struggle over the mountain, therefore, is not simply a struggle over land.

It is a struggle over place, visibility, memory, water, and security.

From this perspective, the history of Mount Hermon offers a condensed illustration of the nature of conflict in the Levant: an intricate geography that has made the mountain a natural boundary, a source of water, and a witness to civilizations, before modern conflicts transformed it into a military position over which competing powers have fought for control.

The “Eyes of the Nation”: From Geographic Symbol to Political Title

When Mount Hermon is described as the “Eyes of the Nation,” the phrase refers not only to the mountain’s ability to overlook the surrounding territories. It also captures the transformation in the function of the place itself.

The mountain, once part of the sacred and majestic natural landscape of the Levant, has become part of modern systems of security, strategy, surveillance, and early warning.

This helps explain why Mount Hermon repeatedly returns to the center of attention whenever the balance of power in the region changes.

Its elevation gives it visibility; its location gives it strategic reach across several fronts; its natural resources add another layer of importance; and its long history gives it a symbolic dimension that extends beyond immediate military calculations.

A Mountain That Encapsulates the Region’s History

Ultimately, the story of Mount Hermon resembles a mirror reflecting the history of the Levant itself.

Here, civilizations, names, and borders converge. Nature meets politics, water meets security, and memory meets competition over land.

From the “Mountain of Snow” to Hermon, from a summit that has witnessed history to a site that has become part of regional security calculations, Mount Hermon has retained its place as one of the most consequential mountains in the geography and collective memory of the Levant.

Perhaps the most significant lesson of the current developments is that the mountain, which for centuries was simply part of the region’s natural landscape, has once again found itself at the center of a larger question:

Who controls the land—and who possesses the ability to see it and control what surrounds it?

In a region where the boundaries of influence are changing rapidly, Mount Hermon may be more than a high mountain peak. It may be a condensed symbol of the struggle over the future of southern Syria and over the emerging political and security map of the Levant.