Katz thanks Hegseth for backing buffer zones in Lebanon, Syria

Defense Minister Israel Katz says he spoke to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about military activity in the West Bank and thanked him for backing Israeli efforts to create secure buffer zones inside Syria and Lebanon.

“The defense minister briefed the defense secretary about IDF operations in Judea and Samaria against terror in refugee camps, and emphasized the importance of security zones in Lebanon and Syria, and thanked him for the backing,” a statement from Katz’s office reads.

Katz also thanked the Pentagon chief for the Trump administration’s fast-tracking of arms shipments to Israel and for Trump’s “commitment to a strong bilateral alliance,” the statement says.

Great conversation with @SecDef @PeteHegseth. I thanked him for the @realDonaldTrump administration’s support in expediting military aid to Israel and its unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.

We agreed: All hostages must be brought home, and Hamas rule in Gaza must be…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) March 4, 2025

His office says the two agreed that Iran remains the central threat in the region and sought to maintain the “close cooperation between Israel and the US toward the goal of preventing it from getting a nuclear weapon.”

Katz also brought up Gaza, including Israel’s adoption of a US proposal to extend the ceasefire deal’s first stage rather than proceed with a planned military pullout from the Strip. He also “emphasized the need to return all the hostages and eliminate Hamas,” the statement says.

A Pentagon readout of the call says Hegseth “reaffirmed that the United States remains 100 percent committed to Israel’s security and emphasized the unbreakable bond that exists between the United States and Israel.”