Jerusalem, Israel - Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday that Israel is determined to keep its forces in "security zones" in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.
In a statement, Katz's office said the two men spoke overnight and the minister "emphasized Israel's determination to remain in the security zones in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon."
Insisting Israel has "never asked the United States to act in our place along our borders," Katz justified the decision as an attempt to "protect Israel's borders and the communities near the border from the threats posed by jihadist forces."
His comments come days after President Donald Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pull Israeli forces out of Syria and Lebanon.
Citing a US official, Axios reported that Trump told Netanyahu the Israeli deployment was fueling tensions in Syria.
"They don't want you there. You should redeploy," he reportedly said.
After the December 2024 overthrow of Syria's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israel sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights.
Israel has also carried out repeated incursions into Syrian territory since then, as well as bombings, and has said it wants a demilitarized zone in the country's south.
In Lebanon, Israeli forces remain deployed in what the military describes as a security zone extending roughly six miles into Lebanese territory. It has continued to launch deadly bombing campaigns on civilian centers.
Lebanon and Israel, which have no formal relations, are engaged in talks to end hostilities and concluded their fifth round of talks in Rome on Wednesday.
The US-brokered negotiations are aimed at having Israeli forces steadily withdraw from Lebanon.
In Gaza, Israel's military controls 60% of the territory and is present on the entire outside perimeter, along both the border with Israel and with Egypt.