Trump privately urges Netanyahu to withdraw troops from parts of Syria, Lebanon: Report
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has privately urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to begin withdrawing Israeli troops from parts of Syria and Lebanon, according to an Axios report citing US and Israeli officials.
The reported conversation marks one of the clearest signs yet of disagreement between the two leaders over Israel's military posture following the October 7 attacks. Trump reportedly warned that Israel's continued presence in Syrian territory risks fueling further regional tensions and told Netanyahu it was time to "redeploy."
The call comes as the Trump administration pursues new security arrangements with Syria and Lebanon while seeking to reduce the chances of another regional conflict.
Trump pushes Israel for redeployment
According to US officials familiar with the call, Trump told Netanyahu that Israel's continued military presence in southern Syria was creating unnecessary tensions.
"They don't want you there. You should redeploy," Trump reportedly told the Israeli leader, adding that similar concerns applied to southern Lebanon.
The phone call came one day after Trump met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey. For months, the administration has explored a broader regional security framework that would eventually see Israel scale back the territory it has occupied since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government in late 2024.
The White House declined to comment on the reported conversation but did not dispute its substance.
Netanyahu cites border security
Netanyahu, however, defended Israel's current military deployments, arguing that security buffer zones remain necessary to prevent future cross-border attacks similar to Hamas' October 7 assault.
According to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, Netanyahu stressed Israel's continuing need for security zones along its northern frontiers.
Senior members of Israel's governing coalition have also advocated maintaining a long-term military presence in parts of southern Syria and southern Lebanon, with some even supporting permanent Israeli civilian communities in those areas.
Those positions have complicated Washington's efforts to negotiate broader regional understandings following recent diplomatic outreach to Syria.
Lebanon talks add pressure on Israel
Trump's request also comes as US mediators continue efforts to implement a separate security framework between Israel and Lebanon.
Earlier this week, American officials met Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Rome to discuss Israel's planned withdrawal from two designated areas in southern Lebanon. Under the agreement, Israeli forces would redeploy while the Lebanese military assumes responsibility for security.
Israeli officials have maintained that any further withdrawals depend on confirming Hezbollah no longer maintains weapons or military infrastructure in those locations. Lebanese officials, meanwhile, argue that independent US monitors, not Israel, should determine whether those conditions have been met.
With negotiations underway on multiple fronts, Trump's latest intervention signals a growing effort by his administration to encourage military de-escalation while balancing Israel's security concerns against broader US objectives for regional stability.
