Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has firmly stated that his country is determined to maintain its military presence in distinct security zones established in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip.
The declaration was made directly to American counterpart Pete Hegseth during an overnight telephone call, pushing back against recent calls from Washington to scale down regional deployments.
According to an official statement from the office of Israel Katz, the defence minister stressed that holding these forward positions is absolutely vital for securing Israel's national borders. The strategy aims to shield front-line communities from the persistent dangers presented by hostile extremist networks.
The defence minister explicitly stated that the nation has never requested the United States to deploy personnel or to fight on behalf of Israeli border protection.
The clear stance follows recent media reports indicating that United States President Donald Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to completely pull forces out of both Syria and Lebanon. The American administration reportedly cautioned that the forward troop footprint was actively increasing geopolitical friction in post-Assad Syria.
The deployment in Syria expanded significantly after the collapse of the long-time government under Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Israeli units crossed the established United Nations buffer strip on the Golan Heights and have since conducted multiple incursions to establish a strict demilitarised zone across southern Syria.
Further south, the Israeli military continues to occupy a buffer strip in Lebanon that extends roughly ten kilometres into sovereign Lebanese territory.
This military stance remains active despite ongoing diplomatic talks between the two nations to settle border hostilities. Representatives completed a fifth round of negotiations in Rome on Wednesday. These talks focus on an American-backed initiative to guide a structured withdrawal of Israeli units, beginning with designated pilot zones located just outside the main security perimeter.
Concurrently, the military situation in Gaza remains heavily fortified. The armed forces of Israel maintain direct administrative and tactical control over 60 per cent of the territory, while keeping an absolute lock on the outer boundaries bordering Israel and Egypt.
