2025-11-27T09:39:30+00:00
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Shafaq News – Middle East
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on
Thursday that Iran-backed Houthis and other armed groups in Syria may be
preparing attacks on the Golan Heights.
During a closed session of the Knesset’s Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee, excerpts of which aired on Israel’s Kan
broadcaster, Katz dismissed the prospect of near-term security arrangements or
normalization with Damascus, revealing that Israel is preparing for scenarios
in which Syrian forces or associated groups attempt to strike Israeli
communities or threaten Druze areas in the Golan region.
Read more: Syria’s shifting stance: Is normalization with Israel on the horizon?
His remarks came as the Israeli army launched “Magen
Oz-Shield of Strength”, a two-day military drill along the Syrian frontier
designed to simulate multi-front threats through surprise alerts, rapid force
mobilization, air support, and automated supply drops.
US-brokered talks aimed at reaching a security
deal—including an Israeli withdrawal from recently seized areas—have reportedly
collapsed after Damascus rejected a “proposed humanitarian corridor” to Suwayda
as “a breach of sovereignty.”
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December
2024, Israel has intensified operations inside Syria, targeting weapons
stockpiles, military convoys, and entrenched positions, while expanding its
control in key buffer zones near Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh).
Read more: Israel’s expansion in Syria: A looming threat to Iraq