Axios, citing U.S. and Israeli officials, reported President Trump told Prime
Minister Netanyahu in a recent call that Israeli forces should begin redeploying
from areas of Syria and urged a similar pullback from Lebanon, saying they don't
want you there, you should redeploy. Netanyahu said Israel needs to retain a
security buffer on its borders. The Trump administration has for months pushed
for new security arrangements to enable a phased Israeli withdrawal from Syrian
territory held since the Assad regime's fall at end-2024, but U.S. officials
believe Netanyahu is unwilling to make those concessions. The U.S. has also been
mediating implementation of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire framework, pressing for
partial Israeli withdrawals from southern Lebanon, though the withdrawal
timetable remains disputed.
