Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz has informed US counterpart Pete Hegseth that Israel will continue to maintain its military presence in designated'security zones' within Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip. In a statement from Katz's office, the Defense Minister emphasized Israel's determination to remain in these zones to protect its borders and communities near the border from threats posed by jihadist forces. Katz stated, 'We have never asked the United States to act in our place along our borders.'
This declaration comes shortly after US President Donald Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli forces from Syria and Lebanon, as reported by US news outlet Axios. According to Axios, Trump told Netanyahu that the Israeli deployment was exacerbating tensions in Syria, stating, 'They don't want you there. You should redeploy.'
Following the December 2024 overthrow of Syria's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israel deployed troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that previously separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights. Israel has also conducted repeated incursions into Syrian territory since then, alongside bombings, and has expressed a desire for a demilitarized zone in the country's south.
In Lebanon, Israeli forces are stationed in a security zone extending approximately 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory. Lebanon and Israel, which lack formal relations, are currently engaged in talks to end hostilities after Hezbollah's attacks on Israel in March drew Lebanon into the broader Middle East conflict. The fifth round of these US-brokered negotiations concluded in Rome on Wednesday, with the aim of having Israeli forces gradually withdraw from Lebanon, beginning with two 'pilot zones' outside the established 'security zone' in the south.
In Gaza, Israel's military controls 60 percent of the territory and maintains a presence along the entire perimeter bordering Israel and Egypt. Israel's steadfast commitment to these security zones underscores its strategic priorities in the region, despite international pressures and diplomatic efforts to alter the status quo.
