Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israeli forces will remain in the Golan-area security zone as long as jihadist threats persist
(Worthy News) – Israel issued a sharp warning to Syria and Turkey from the heights of Mount Hermon this week, declaring that the Israel Defense Forces will remain in key positions overlooking southern Syria as long as threats continue to gather near Israel’s northern border.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking Tuesday during a visit with Israeli troops on Mount Hermon, said the IDF would not withdraw from the mountain or the surrounding security zone while Israel faces “jihadist threats” from the Syrian side of the border. Katz said the message to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was unmistakable: when Damascus looks toward Mount Hermon, it should see Israel’s army there to defend the Golan Heights, the Galilee, and northern communities.
The warning comes after days of rising tension between Israel, Syria, and Turkey, following Israeli strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northern Syria. Israeli officials said the strike was intended to prevent Turkey from establishing a military foothold at the site, a move Jerusalem viewed as a direct threat to Israeli security. Reuters reported that Israeli Defense Minister Katz accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of pulling Turkey into “dangerous adventures in Syria” and warned Ankara not to test Israel’s resolve.
Syria has rejected Israel’s claims, with Syrian officials saying no permanent Turkish military deployment was planned at the airbase. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani reportedly told Axios that Damascus had made clear to Israel that the base would remain under Syrian sovereignty and control, but Israel carried out the strike anyway.
The dispute has also drawn in Washington. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said Israel did not warn the United States before the strike, while Katz said Israel had passed intelligence to U.S. officials and warned Syrian authorities before acting. The exchange revealed growing unease as the Trump administration attempts to broker a security arrangement between Israel and Syria.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed the territory in 1981. The United States recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights during President Donald Trump’s first term, a position reaffirmed after recent confusion caused by Barrack’s comments describing the area as occupied.
Katz’s remarks underscore Israel’s central concern: that the fall of the Assad regime and the rise of a new Syrian government could open the door to Turkish influence, jihadist factions, or Iranian-backed elements operating closer to Israel’s border. From Jerusalem’s view, Mount Hermon is not merely strategic high ground; it is an early-warning shield for the north.
Worthy News Analysis
For Israel, the lesson of October 7 remains clear: threats cannot be allowed to mature quietly on the border. Whether the danger comes from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iranian proxies, jihadist factions in Syria, or a hostile regional power seeking military access near the Golan, Israel is signaling that it will act before the threat becomes entrenched.
Mount Hermon has become more than a military position. It is now a message. Israel is telling Damascus, Ankara, and Washington that any security deal with Syria must first guarantee that Israel’s northern communities will not be left exposed.
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