"Israel will remain in the Golan Heights" - Katz

Israeli troops will remain in the buffer zone of the Golan Heights in southern Syria to ensure the security of the northern border of the Jewish state, as well as to protect the Druze population, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

“The Israel Defense Forces will remain on the summit of Mount Hermon and in the security zone necessary to protect the settlements of the Golan Heights and Galilee from threats from the Syrian side, which is the main lesson of the events of October 7. We will also continue to protect the Druze in Syria,” the politician wrote on his X social network page.

Last week, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that Tel Aviv is interested in normalizing relations with Syria and Lebanon while ensuring national security interests, emphasizing that the Golan Heights will remain under Israeli sovereignty in the event of any agreement.