U.S. President Donald Trump plans to withdraw hundreds of American troops from Syria, according to Israeli media reports.
Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, reported on Tuesday that senior White House officials had informed their Israeli counterparts of Trump’s intention to pull U.S. forces from Syria. The report noted that the withdrawal would raise significant concerns in Tel Aviv.
As of December, the Pentagon estimated that around 2,000 American troops were deployed in Syria.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz visited the occupied Mount Hermon in Syria on Tuesday, reaffirming Israel’s intent to maintain its military presence in the region indefinitely following its occupation last month.
“We will not allow hostile forces to establish a foothold in the security zone south of Syria, from here to the Sweida-Damascus axis. We will act against any threat,” Katz stated.
Israeli Violations in Syria
In December, amid Syria’s ongoing conflict and the weakening of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Israel expanded its occupation in the Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized zone in Mount Hermon.
On December 8, the Israeli military launched widespread airstrikes across Syria, targeting military sites, weapons facilities, and infrastructure. The attacks, a violation of Syrian sovereignty, drew international condemnation.
Additionally, Israel declared the collapse of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement with Syria and deployed its military in the demilitarized zone of the Golan Heights, most of which it has occupied since 1967.
The United Nations and several Arab states have widely criticized this move.
