Trump reportedly plans to withdraw thousands of US troops from Syria

U.S. President Donald Trump intends to withdraw thousands of US troops from Syria, according to Israeli media on Tuesday.

Israel’s official public broadcasting Kan reported that “senior White House officials conveyed a message to their Israeli counterparts indicating that President Trump intends to pull thousands of U.S. troops from Syria.”

Withdrawal concerns Israel

The report added that “the withdrawal of American forces from Syria will raise significant concerns in Tel Aviv.”

A Pentagon announcement in December stated that about 2,000 U.S. troops are currently deployed in Syria.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who visited the occupied Mount Hermon in Syria on Tuesday, reaffirmed Israel’s intent to maintain a military presence in the region indefinitely after its occupation last month.

“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 said.

In December, taking advantage of Syrian factions challenging Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Israel expanded its occupation in the Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized zone at Mount Hermon.

On Dec. 8, Israeli forces launched airstrikes across Syria, destroying military sites, weaponry, and infrastructure, drawing international condemnation for violating Syrian sovereignty.

Additionally, Israel declared the collapse of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement with Syria, deploying its military in the Golan Heights’ demilitarized zone, much of which it has occupied since 1967. The move has faced criticism from the U.N. and Arab nations.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s regime leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new administration led by Al-Sharaa has now taken control of the country.