Syria condemns Israeli Defense Minister's visit to Mount Hermon as sovereignty violation

Syrian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's visit to the Hermon outpost, calling it a violation of Syrian sovereignty and a provocation. During the visit, Katz delivered a message to Syria's President: "When you wake up in the morning in the palace in Damascus and look up at the Hermon and see the IDF—you know that we are here to protect our communities." The visit comes amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Syria over the strategic Hermon region.