Israeli DM warns: militias in Syria may attack Israel's Golan Heights

Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned that armed groups operating inside Syria- including the Iran-backed Houthi movement , are considering launching attacks on the Golan Heights, according to details from a closed meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Katz reportedly told lawmakers that Israel should not expect any progress toward a security arrangement or normalization with Damascus. 

Instead, he said, the defense establishment is preparing for scenarios in which Syrian military forces or foreign militias entrenched in the country attempt cross-border strikes on Israeli communities in the Golan or threaten the region’s Syrian Druze population.

According to Kan, Katz said the Houthis are among the groups now active in Syria and have discussed the possibility of a ground incursion into the Golan.

Katz also highlighted growing concern for the safety of Druze communities across the border. He said the Israel Defense Forces have contingency plans ready should attacks on the Druze Mountain region resume. “If raids occur again, we will intervene, including by closing the border,” he reportedly stated.

Local leaders in the Golan responded to the warnings with calls for heightened preparedness. Uri Kellner, head of the Golan Regional Council, and Katzrin Mayor Yehuda Dua said hostile groups remain intent on harming Israel, urging the IDF to bolster its presence in the buffer zone and on Mount Hermon. Strengthening civil defense across Golan towns, they added, is essential for confronting any emerging threat.

Kan also reported that both Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas are increasingly using Syria as a base for their activities, with Syrian authorities allegedly overlooking the groups’ growing presence. A Syrian security official, however, insisted in recent days that Damascus has no intention of allowing attacks on Israel from its territory, arguing such actions would endanger Syria at a time when it is attempting to rebuild.

Israeli forces have maintained positions inside southern Syria since the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024. 

The IDF now operates nine posts within a UN-patrolled buffer zone along the border, including two on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.

Troops have been patrolling up to 15 kilometers into Syria, aiming to prevent hostile factions from gaining footholds near the Israeli frontier and to intercept weapons shipments that could be used in future attacks.