US President Donald Trump plans to pull hundreds of American troops from Syria, according to reports from Israeli media. On Tuesday, Israel’s Kan public broadcaster revealed that “senior White House officials” informed their Israeli counterparts of Trump’s decision, adding that the withdrawal would likely raise concerns in Tel Aviv.
The Pentagon had previously announced in December that about 2,000 US troops were stationed in Syria.
In the meantime, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who visited the occupied Mount Hermon in Syria on Tuesday, reiterated Israel’s intention to maintain a military presence in the region indefinitely. “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.
In December, Israel expanded its occupation in the Golan Heights, seizing the demilitarized zone on Mount Hermon after Syrian opposition forces helped overthrow Bashar al-Assad’s regime. On December 8, the Israeli military conducted widespread airstrikes across Syria, targeting military sites, weaponry, and infrastructure—a violation of Syrian sovereignty that sparked international criticism.
Israel also declared the collapse of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement with Syria, deploying troops in the Golan Heights’ demilitarized zone, much of which it has occupied since 1967. This move has been met with condemnation from the UN and Arab states.
