From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Trump said to urge Netanyahu to withdraw IDF troops from Syria, Lebanon in recent call
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleStav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
US President Donald Trump urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call last Thursday to begin withdrawing IDF troops from southern Syria and Lebanon, Barak Ravid of Channel 12 and Axios reports, citing American and Israeli officials.
According to the report, Trump warned that Israel’s military presence in Syrian territory is creating tensions that could lead to an escalation, telling Netanyahu, “They don’t want you there. You should redeploy.” He reportedly made a similar request regarding Lebanon.
The Prime Minister’s Office said last week that during the call, Netanyahu stressed “the need for security zones along Israel’s borders,” while the White House declined to comment on the substance of the report but highlighted Trump’s “strong relationship” with Netanyahu and described the US president as “a fighter for peace.”
Last month, Israel agreed to withdraw its forces from two designated “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon as part of ongoing negotiations with Beirut to allow the Lebanese Armed Forces to assume security control in those areas. But two and a half weeks have passed and Israel has yet to pull out from either pilot zone, slowing talks between Jerusalem and Beirut.
The Times of Israel Community.