Israeli minister of military affairs Israel Katz has informed his US counterpart Pete Hegseth that the Tel Aviv regime is resolute in maintaining its military presence in the so-called “security zones” it has established inside southern Lebanon, Syria, as well as the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
Katz’s office announced in a statement that the two men had a conversation overnight, during which the minister “stressed Israel’s commitment to maintaining its presence in the security zones of Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon to safeguard Israel’s borders and the communities adjacent to the border” from what he described as dangers posed by resistance forces.
“We have never asked the United States to act in our place along our borders,” Katz claimed.
His statements comments were made just days after US President Donald Trump urged Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli troops from Syria and Lebanon, as reported by the US news outlet Axios.
According to the report, Trump told Netanyahu that the Israeli military presence was exacerbating tensions in Syria.
“They don’t want you there. You should redeploy,” Trump said, according to Axios.
Following the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government on December 8, 2024, Israel declared the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria to be invalid and proceeded to invade the UN-monitored buffer zone.
Although there are no threats posed by Syria’s Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime, Israel has persisted with airstrikes and ground offensives in Syria, resulting in civilian casualties and destruction of military infrastructure.
Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-24 war.
Israeli assaults in Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of at least 4,324 individuals, injured 12,223 others, and displaced over 1 million individuals since March 2, according to official Lebanese statistics.
The regime has also established the so-called Yellow Line security zone inside the Gaza Strip.
Israeli officials report that the military currently governs over 70% of the coastal region, an increase from 53% as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement of October 2025.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli strikes following the implementation of the ceasefire have resulted in the deaths of 1,123 Palestinians and injuries to 3,616 individuals as of Wednesday.
