President Donald Trump has reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli troops stationed in Syria and Lebanon. However, Israel maintains that a local presence is necessary for border defense, making an actual withdrawal unlikely.
Axios reported on the 14th, citing U.S. and Israeli officials, that Trump called Netanyahu on the 9th and urged him to relocate troops deployed in Syria to other areas.
Trump reportedly stated, "The presence of Israeli troops in Syria could escalate local tensions," adding, "They do not want you there." He also called for troop withdrawals from Lebanon.
In response, Netanyahu asserted that a buffer zone is needed to protect the border, stating, "We need to keep our military in the surrounding areas." The Israeli military also confirmed that there have been no changes to troop deployments in Syria and Lebanon.
The Trump administration has been mediating a new security agreement between Israel and Syria. However, Netanyahu is reportedly opposed to gradually withdrawing troops from southern Syria.
Recently, there have been clashes between residents opposing the Israeli military presence in southern Syria and Israeli soldiers. The U.S. is concerned that these conflicts could escalate into larger military confrontations.
Negotiations for troop withdrawals are also ongoing in Lebanon. The U.S.-brokered agreement includes the disarmament of armed groups, the deployment of the Lebanese military, and a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops.
However, Israel maintains that it is difficult to withdraw from southern Lebanon until the threat from the Iran-aligned militant group Hezbollah is eliminated. While some troop reductions have been agreed upon, actual withdrawals have yet to occur.
The upcoming general elections in October also pose a variable. Netanyahu must consider his right-wing base, which prioritizes border control. As a result, analysts suggest that a large-scale withdrawal before the elections is unlikely.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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