Defense Minister Yisrael Katz disclosed some of the challenges facing Israel during a classified briefing to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday, with a focus on the northern border area with Syria, Kan News reported on Thursday morning.

Katz said that the possibility of a peace agreement with Syria is not currently on the agenda. He also revealed that there are militias in Syria considering an attempt to invade Israel from the northern border.

Katz stated that several terror organizations are operating inside Syria and pose a risk of a ground invasion into Israel, including the Houthi terror group from Yemen. He emphasized that Israel is taking this possibility into account and is preparing accordingly.

It should be noted that this is not the first warning of Houthi terrorists gathering in Syria and preparing to invade Israel. Several reports about this serious security issue were published a year ago.

Last week, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and senior government and defense officials made an unannounced and rare visit to the Syrian buffer zone. The visit followed a classified request to the judges overseeing Netanyahu’s court cases, who allowed him to miss a full day of proceedings to make the visit.

The trip was disclosed and publicized only after it concluded.

After receiving an operational briefing and holding a security assessment, Netanyahu spoke with active-duty and reserve soldiers assigned to the area, saying, “We attach enormous importance to our defensive and offensive capabilities here, to protecting our Druze allies, and above all to safeguarding the State of Israel and its northern border facing the Golan. This is a mission that could develop at any moment, but we trust you.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)