Syria's interim government has asked the United Nations to intervene in Israel's occupation of a key site in the strategically important Golan Heights following the collapse of the Assad regime.

Assad’s fall to bomb all the Syrian military assets it wanted to keep out of the rebels’ hands – striking nearly 500 targets, destroying the navy, and taking out, it claims, 90% of Syria’s known surface-to-air missiles.

Mount Hermon, which lies near the border with Lebanon, is one of the most significant strategic locations in the territory. As the highest mountain in Syria, it provides a plateau for observation across the region. At only 40km from Damascus, the capital would be well in range of Israeli artillery that could be placed on the mountain.