Trump asks Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli forces from Syria and Lebanon: “They don’t want you there”

U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to begin withdrawing Israeli troops from Syria and take similar measures in southern Lebanon. The request was made during a phone call on Thursday, according to Axios, citing American and Israeli officials.

During the conversation, Trump conveyed to Netanyahu his concern that the presence of the Israeli army on Syrian territory is increasing tensions and risks widening the conflict. “They don’t want you there. You have to withdraw,” the U.S. president is reported to have said, stressing that the same approach should be followed for Lebanon.

The phone call took place a day after Trump’s meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sarrah, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Turkey.

According to American sources, the Trump administration has been working for several months to mediate a new security agreement between Israel and Syria. The talks, however, have stalled due to Israel’s reluctance to withdraw from Syrian areas occupied after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024.

Netanyahu, on the other hand, raised the need to create security zones along Israel’s borders. The Israeli government argues that maintaining a military presence in Syria and southern Lebanon is necessary to prevent attacks similar to those of October 7.

In southern Lebanon, meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continue to implement an agreement that envisages the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the two areas remaining under their control, as well as the deployment of the Lebanese army. Although Israel has undertaken to implement this agreement, the process has not yet begun.

Trump’s request comes at a delicate political moment for Netanyahu, as Israel heads toward elections seen as decisive for his political future. However, officials cited by Axios estimate that the Israeli prime minister is not expected to carry out significant withdrawals beyond the commitments he has already made.

The White House did not provide an official comment on the content of the phone call, but did not dispute the reports either. A U.S. official told Axios that relations between Trump and Netanyahu remain strong, while Israel remains a strategic ally of the United States.