During a conversation Wednesday evening with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that there was today “a serious chance of bringing back all the hostages, including those who are American citizens”, confirming thus the hopes for progress in the negotiations.
The other issue at the heart of the discussions was Israel's decision to establish checkpoints in the Syrian buffer zone. Minister Katz justified this measure as an imperative security necessity after the events of October 7, emphasizing Israel's determination to protect its citizens.
Israeli military operations in Syria were also discussed, with Katz explaining that they aim to prevent the deployment of strategic weapons threatening Israel. Concerning Lebanon, the minister reaffirmed the policy of “zero tolerance” in the face of violations.
The two officials converged on the threat posed by Iran in the region. They agreed to strengthen their cooperation in order to counter Iranian attempts to transport weapons to Lebanon via Syria.
