When Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stepped onto the snowy summit of Mount Hermon, he didn't mince words. He looked out across the border toward Damascus, standing just 35 kilometers away, and made a stance that completely upends any hopes for an immediate military withdrawal. Israel is staying put.
If you are wondering why the Israeli military continues to hold a security zone deep inside Syrian territory long after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, the answer comes down to a hardline security doctrine. Jerusalem is drawing a permanent line in the sand. They argue that until regional threats completely evaporate, troops will remain stationed across the buffer zone. For an alternative view, check out: this related article.
The View From Mount Hermon
Katz delivered a blunt message directly to the leadership in Damascus during his frontline tour. When Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa wakes up in his palace and looks up at the ridges of Mount Hermon, he sees Israeli forces. That isn't accidental. It's psychological warfare backed by heavy boots on the ground.
Since December 2024, when Assad's regime collapsed, the Israel Defense Forces have occupied strategic positions up to 15 kilometers deep into Syria. These aren't temporary patrols. They include fortified outposts across the United Nations-patrolled buffer zone that has existed since 1974. Israel maintains that old security frameworks are dead. They claim local jihadist factions and remnants of old military networks pose an active, daily danger to communities in the Golan Heights and the Galilee. Further reporting regarding this has been published by NPR.
Dealing With Regional Rivals
The friction doesn't stop with domestic Syrian factions. Israel has widened its scope to check the ambitions of external powers trying to fill the post-war power vacuum.
Take Turkey, for instance. Last week, the Israeli air force struck the disused Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria. Jerusalem claimed the operation targeted an attempt by Ankara to establish a permanent military footprint that would directly jeopardize Israeli security interests. Turkey has denied the move, but the strike signals a broader truth. Israel will act unilaterally across Syrian skies, regardless of whether foreign capitals or Washington approve.
That independence has created serious diplomatic friction. The United States has spent over a year trying to broker a comprehensive security deal between Israel and the new Syrian administration. Mossad chief Roman Gofman recently met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Jordan to hammer out a framework. Damascus claims an agreement was nearly finalized on paper, requiring an Israeli withdrawal in exchange for demilitarized zones.
Yet, those diplomatic tracks keep stalling. Israel points to continuous weapons smuggling operations by Hezbollah, allegedly financed and operated by Iran through Syrian transit routes. When security officials see active smuggling rings feeding rockets into Lebanon, diplomatic promises take a backseat to tactical control.
What Happens Next on the Ground
Damascus has officially condemned Katz's visit as an illegal entry and a flagrant violation of national sovereignty, urging international pressure to force an immediate withdrawal. But protests from foreign ministries won't empty out military outposts.
Israel's calculus is entirely tied to the trauma of past security failures. Officials have made it clear that relying on international monitors or distant diplomatic guarantees is no longer an option. Troops will hold the high ground, monitor the valleys, and strike pre-emptively whenever intelligence points to a reloading of hostile infrastructure. The security zone is going to remain a permanent fixture of the regional map for the foreseeable future.
