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Trump presses Netanyahu
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to begin withdrawing Israeli forces from parts of Syria and Lebanon during a phone call last Thursday, according to Axios as cited by Muslim Network TV and the Jerusalem Post.
Muslim Network TV said Trump expressed concern that Israel’s continued military presence in southern Syria could heighten regional tensions and increase the risk of further escalation, while the Jerusalem Post reported that Trump allegedly told Netanyahu, “They don’t want you there. You should redeploy,” during the call.
The Jerusalem Post added that IDF sources told the outlet the Axios report took them by surprise and that there were no indications the situation would change imminently, while Netanyahu’s office said he stressed the need to maintain security zones along Israel’s borders.
The reported call came a day after Trump met Syria’s interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Türkiye, and the Jerusalem Post said the U.S. president announced the U.S. would move to remove Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism after that meeting.
Security zones and talks
Shafaq News reported that Trump warned Israel’s military presence in Syria was fueling tensions and risked further escalation, and it quoted Netanyahu’s office saying he stressed the need to maintain security zones along Israel’s borders.
In the same account, Shafaq News said U.S. mediators met Israeli and Lebanese officials in Rome to discuss implementing a framework agreement under which Israel agreed to withdraw from two “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon to allow the Lebanese army to deploy there.
Shafaq News also said Lebanon demanded a clear timetable for further withdrawals, while Israel maintained that any additional redeployment should depend on verifying that the zones are free of Hezbollah weapons and military infrastructure.
The Jerusalem Post framed the broader diplomatic setting by saying Israel and Lebanon resumed peace talks in Rome to discuss the implementation of a trilateral framework signed on June 26 in Washington, aimed at disarming Hezbollah and facilitating the withdrawal of IDF troops from southern Lebanon.
Pressure before elections
Axios reporting as described by Al-Jazeera Net said Trump’s request increases pressure on Netanyahu about three months before elections that are considered decisive for his political and personal future, while it also said it is unlikely Netanyahu will take substantive steps to withdraw forces from areas it controls in Syria.
Al-Jazeera Net added that Israeli forces are currently deployed in wide areas of southern Syria and southern Lebanon, and it said the Israeli government says this presence is necessary to prevent a repetition of the October 7, 2023 attack.
The Jerusalem Post described Netanyahu as defending Israel’s position by stressing that the military presence remained necessary for national security, and it said Netanyahu was reportedly pushing for a meeting with Trump at the White House.
In parallel, the Jerusalem Post said the trilateral framework agreement under which Israel agreed to withdraw troops from two areas would allow the Lebanese army to take control of the zones and implement measures to disarm Hezbollah, while Israeli authorities said further redeployment depends on verifying the areas are free of Hezbollah weapons and military infrastructure.
