Former Israeli adviser says troop presence in Syria requires US coordination
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A former Israeli national security adviser said on Friday that any continued Israeli military presence inside the buffer zone in Syrian territory cannot be decided by Israel alone and would require direct coordination with the United States.
Eyal Hulata, Israel’s former national security adviser, told i24NEWS that maintaining Israeli forces in the area for an extended period or changing Israel’s national security approach would require US approval and support. He added that Israel could not impose control over the territory of neighboring countries solely through a unilateral decision.
Hulata said US President Donald Trump’s reported request for Israeli forces to withdraw from Syria was not unexpected, noting that Trump had expressed since the beginning of his presidency a preference for negotiated solutions with different parties, including in Syria and Gaza. He said this approach also led to the establishment of what he described as the “Peace Council.”
He added that withdrawing from Syria could be less complicated for Israel than withdrawing from Gaza or Lebanon, citing what he described as the absence of a direct hostile force along the Syrian border, unlike the presence of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
According to Hulata, Israeli officials held contacts with the Syrian government to reach security understandings in southern Syria that would ensure Israel’s security and protect Jewish communities in exchange for an Israeli military withdrawal while maintaining agreed security arrangements.
He said those efforts did not produce an agreement, adding that he did not believe the failure stemmed from a lack of trust in the Syrian side. He questioned why Washington would support negotiations if it believed Damascus could not uphold any agreement.
Hulata’s remarks came after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reaffirmed his government’s commitment to maintaining what it calls “security zones” in Syria, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip during a phone call with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The statements also followed an Axios report saying President Trump had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli forces from Syria and Lebanon, warning that their continued presence in Syrian territory could increase tensions and lead to renewed escalation. Netanyahu’s office has meanwhile reiterated its support for maintaining security zones along Israel’s borders.