Defense Minister says Israel is not moving toward peace with Syria
During a closed meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday, Katz insisted that “Israel is not moving toward peace with Syria because there are forces within its borders thinking about invading Golan towns.” He further claimed that the Houthis are active in Syria and accused the group of preparing what he described as a “ground invasion” targeting Israel’s northern region.
He added that “Another matter that concerns Israeli officials is the Druze community in Syria,” according to reports citing his remarks. Katz warned that the Israeli military stands ready to “intervene once again, including by closing the border” should any incident unfold in southern Syria.
Neither Damascus nor the Houthi movement issued any response to Katz’s accusations.
Syrian authorities have consistently stated that they uphold equal rights for all communities and have accused Israel of exploiting the Druze issue as justification for interference in Syria’s internal affairs.
Meanwhile, recent months have seen meetings between Israeli and Syrian representatives aimed at establishing new security arrangements tied to Israel’s withdrawal from the Syrian buffer zone, which it took control of in December 2024. Following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government later that year, Israel expanded its presence in the occupied Golan Heights by capturing the demilitarized buffer zone—an action that violated the 1974 disengagement agreement.
According to available government data, Israel has conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes and over 400 cross-border operations in Syria’s southern regions since December 2024.
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