Israeli Defense Minister Says IDF Will ‘Remain’ in Newly Occupied Areas of Syria

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Israel will “remain” in the territory it has captured in southern Syria following the regime change that ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

“The IDF will remain at the peak of Mount Hermon and in the security zone necessary to protect the Golan and Galilee settlements from threats looming from the Syrian side as the main lesson from the events of October 7,” Katz wrote on X.

While Katz cited alleged “threats” from Syria to justify the continued occupation, Israel has reported just one rocket attack from Syrian territory since the regime change, which did not cause any damage or casualties. The new Syrian government, led by former al-Qaeda leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, has also been very deferential toward Israel, even while facing significant Israeli airstrikes and an Israeli invasion of southwestern Syria.

https://news.antiwar.com/2025/08/26/israeli-defense-minister-says-idf-will-remain-in-newly-occupied-areas-of-syria/