Jerusalem, 9 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Defense Minister Israel Katz visited an IDF post on Mount Hermon in Syria on Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, declaring that Israel would remain in the security zone to protect the Golan Heights and Galilee.
Katz warned Syria and Iran that Israel was prepared to act against threats, saying, “We struck Iran twice, and when necessary, we will strike for a third time.” He said Israel had thwarted the nuclear threat, eliminated Khamenei and damaged Iran’s strategic capabilities.
Addressing Syria’s leadership, Katz said, “We are here on Mount Hermon, we are in the security zone, and we are not moving from here.”
He added that IDF forces operate nightly to thwart jihadist infrastructure in Syria and protect Israeli communities, while monitoring Hezbollah’s Stronghold in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.