Israeli defense minister says idf soldiers must remain in syria

Defense Minister Israel Katz speaks at a site where a missile fired by Iran hit in Holon, June 19, 2025. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.

#Syria

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israeli forces must remain present in southern Syria to act as a buffer zone between the inhabitants of Galilee and the Golan Heights and potential jihadist enemies

During a visit to the north of the country on Tuesday, after receiving an intelligence and operational briefing at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Northern Command in Safed, Katz was categorical: “Our role is to defend the citizens of Israel against any threat, and that is exactly what we will do.”

The minister praised the offensive actions of the command’s military on different fronts and reinforced that, since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, Israel has expanded and maintained a buffer zone in southern Syria, conducting operations even amidst clashes and sporadic attacks.

Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed that Jerusalem is open to negotiating a new security agreement with the current Syrian government, but will not abandon the principles he considers essential to prevent a repeat of the massacre of October 7, 2023. “After October 7th, we are determined to protect our communities on the borders, including the northern border,” he said, explaining that Israeli policy seeks to prevent the establishment of terrorists in the region, protect Druze allies, and ensure the country remains safe from ground or other attacks.

The Prime Minister’s office denied as “fake news” a Saudi press report alleging that Netanyahu had rejected a US-mediated proposal in September because of Syria’s refusal to open a humanitarian corridor to the Sweida region, where militias linked to the former regime killed members of the Druze minority.

War is inevitable

The current Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa – a former Al-Qaeda leader known by the codename Abu Mohammad al-Julani – demands a full return to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, signed after the Yom Kippur War, and the complete withdrawal of Israel from the territory it currently occupies.

Katz had already told parliamentarians last month that a peace agreement with Damascus is not expected, as hostile groups, including the Iranian-backed Houthis, continue to plan attacks against the Golan Heights.

On Tuesday, the Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, wrote on social media that a new war with Damascus seems “inevitable,” reacting to videos of a Syrian military parade in which soldiers shouted slogans against Israel, promising revenge and rivers of blood.

A convoy of Syria’s HTS-let forces, celebrating their claimed

On the same day, Syrian media released images that apparently showed regime armed forces passing through an Israeli checkpoint to disperse clashes in the Quneitra region, near the border.

Three Syrians were reportedly wounded by IDF gunfire during disturbances that began when Israeli soldiers attempted to arrest a Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant.

The incident occurred just meters from Israeli territory, precisely while the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, was visiting the border alongside Israeli ambassador Danny Danon.

Although the diplomats did not witness the shooting directly, Danon was informed by the local commander and relayed the situation to the American.

At the end of the tour of the northern border, Danon summarized: the threat posed by Iran and its allies is “clear and immediate.” According to him, unlike the propaganda and lies presented at the UN, the reality on the ground shows Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm and the growing challenges arising from the Syrian side.

Published in 12/10/2025 09h58

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Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.

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