Scoop: Trump tells Netanyahu to move forces out of Syria and Lebanon
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President Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in 2025.
President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call Thursday that Israel should start redeploying its forces out of Syria and urged him to do the same in Lebanon, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.
Why it matters: Three months ahead of an election that is existential for his political survival and personal freedom, Netanyahu is unlikely to take any significant steps to withdraw Israeli forces from territory it occupies in Syria — or to allow further redeployments in Lebanon beyond the one he's already agreed to.
- But Trump's requests add to growing pressure on the Israeli leader. The Israel Defense Forces currently occupies large parts of southern Lebanon and southern Syria — a presence the government says is needed to prevent another Oct. 7-type invasion.
- Senior members of the Israeli government want indefinite control over those areas, and some even push for the establishment of Jewish settlements there.
Behind the scenes: A U.S. official said Trump told Netanyahu that the presence of the Israeli military in Syrian territory creates tensions and could lead to an escalation.
- "They don't want you there. You should redeploy," Trump told Netanyahu, according to the U.S. official, who added that the same is true about Lebanon.
- "The Prime Minister, for his part, raised the need for security zones along Israel's borders," the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
Driving the news: The call between Trump and Netanyahu took place a day after a meeting the president had with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey.
- The Trump administration has spent months trying to reach a new security agreement between Israel and Syria before eventually concluding that Netanyahu doesn't want to make the concessions it sought. Those included gradually withdrawing the IDF from the Syrian territory it has occupied since the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, U.S. officials say.
- In recent weeks, there have been several incidents in southern Syria where Syrian citizens protested against the IDF presence and clashed with Israeli soldiers.
State of play: On Tuesday, U.S. mediators met in Rome with Israeli and Lebanese diplomats to discuss the implementation of the framework agreement that was signed by the countries several weeks ago.
- As part of this agreement, Israel committed to pull its forces out of two "pilot zones" it is currently occupying in southern Lebanon and allow the Lebanese military to deploy there.
- The IDF still has not redeployed from the two areas. The Lebanese government wants the process to start and has demanded a clear timetable for further withdrawals.
- Israeli officials claim they want the IDF to verify that the "pilot zones" are clear of Hezbollah weapons and military infrastructure before moving to other zones. The Lebanese say the U.S. military should be the judge of that.
What they're saying: The White House declined to comment, but didn't deny this account.
- A U.S. official told Axios: "President Trump has a strong relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Israel has always been a great ally to the United States. There has been no greater friend to Israel and a fighter for peace than President Trump."
