Forces in Syria are preparing to attack Israel; peace with northern neighbor not likely at the moment, says DM Katz

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said that peace with Syria is not likely at the moment as there are forces in southern Syria who are preparing to attack Israel, according to Kan News.

Katz’s comments came during a closed session of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday.

The defense minister reportedly said that Israel was currently “not on a path” toward a peace agreement with its northern neighbor.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara recently visited the White House, claiming afterwards to have the support to U.S. President Donald Trump for his demand that Israel withdraw from Syrian territory as a condition for a security agreement.

Israel seized a buffer zone on the Golan Heights frontier at the end of 2024 to prevent security threats emanating from southern Syria.

Katz reportedly warned that unspecified militias in Syria are preparing to carry out a ground invasion into Israel’s Golan Heights communities. He added that the Yemeni Houthis are also operating in Syria and noted that a scenario of an attack by them is being taken into account in Israel’s plans to defend the northern border.

There have been no reports of a significant Houthi presence in Syria until now. However, the Houthis are part of Iran’s “Resistance Axis,” and high-ranking IRGC and Hezbollah operatives are known to have traveled to Yemen to train their forces.

Katz’s warning came the day after Kan News reported that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) are seeking to establish military operations in Syria.

Until the collapse of the Assad regime in 2024, Syria was firmly in the grip of the Iranian regime forces, while Hamas and the other Palestinian terror groups held ambivalent positions in the Syrian civil war.

Bashar al-Assad expelled Hamas from Damascus, its former main headquarters and seat of its politburo, in 2021.

The current government of President al-Sharaa includes many former members of Sunni Islamist terrorist groups who rebelled against Assad and have an ideological affinity with Hamas and PIJ.

According to Kan News, some leading figures in the new government – though not necessarily the president – are cooperating to allow the Palestinian groups to reestablish themselves in Syria.

The government was even said to have appointed an envoy to facilitate communications the Syrian government and the PIJ leadership, which is looking to establish its military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, the Palestinian refugee camps near Damascus.

However, a Syrian security official told Kan News that “if there are things that bother Israel regarding the Palestinian organizations, then they should update the Syrian side and it will be handled.”

He assured that there is no intention to allow attacks against Israel from Syrian territory, noting this would harm the Syrian state, which is trying to rebuild itself.

Kan also reported that Hamas is also increasing its cooperation with Hezbollah's Radwan Force in southern Lebanon, including assigning companies of terror operatives to help the Shiite group in restoring its presence and weapons arsenal.

Another issue regarding Syria that was raised by Katz is the still tense situation between the government and the Syrian Druze.

“The IDF has a ready plan, and if raids on Mount Druze happen again, we will intervene – including blocking the border,” Katz was quoted as saying.

Reacting to the reports, Uri Kelner, head of the Golan Regional Council, called on the government to prepare for future challenges: “The IDF must continue to deepen its hold in the buffer zone and the Hermon crown, establish deterrence, and ensure an immediate response to any scenario.”

“At the same time, we must strengthen and empower civilian defense in Katzrin, in the Golan communities, and in the entire region – increase training, reinforce with weapons and ammunition, and expand the operational capabilities of the local defense units on the ground.”

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