Israel Defense Minister confirms troop presence in Syria

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz visited troops stationed in southern Syria to affirm Israel's commitment to maintaining military forces in the region due to ongoing security threats. Katz stated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will remain present to ensure national security as long as threats persist, including efforts to eliminate remnants of the former regime and prevent the dangerous entrenchment of new powers.

The visit follows an Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria last week, an action Israel claims was intended to prevent the deployment of Turkish troops in the area. Ankara has denied any plans to deploy forces into Syria.

Since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes within Syria. Additionally, Israel has deployed troops in the UN-monitored buffer zone in the Golan Heights to establish what it describes as a ‘security zone’ to protect its interests and borders.