President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that he will give Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara a 'green light' to enter Lebanon and confront Hezbollah, and suggested that Israel should withdraw from parts of Lebanon and southern Syria. The remarks, reported by Israeli media, represent a firmer position than his earlier indication that he was 'considering' a green light.
President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday evening that he will grant Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara a 'green light' to enter Lebanon and confront Hezbollah, and suggested that Israel should withdraw from parts of Lebanon and southern Syria. The statement, reported at 18:11 Jerusalem, follows an earlier indication at 17:56 Jerusalem that he was 'considering' the green light — marking a clear escalation from his earlier position within the same day.
The new remarks come after a series of reports on Tuesday evening (Jul 14, 21:06 Jerusalem) that traced the same themes. The thread began with a vague report by Channel 14 journalist Noam Amir of a demand and refusal, then a Russian source claim that Netanyahu rejected a Trump request for withdrawal. A subsequent report said Trump had called for withdrawal, and by the end of the evening, Trump himself was reported suggesting withdrawal and considering a green light, and then considering a green light to confront Hezbollah. All those reports relied on single sources, with no official confirmation.
Over the past weeks, The Zioneer has documented Trump's evolving stance on a Syrian role against Hezbollah. On Jun 17, he said Syria 'would be happy' to handle Hezbollah; on Jun 21, he said he was 'close to letting Syria do it'; on Jul 9, he said the Syrian president had committed to help. The new statements fit that pattern but are the most explicit yet.
What remains open: The Wednesday statements come from a single report, as did the earlier Tuesday reports. No U.S. or Syrian official has confirmed the remarks, and the thread's reliance on unnamed sources and single channels means the reliability of the reports is not yet established.
6 developments
- StrongTrump says Syria 'would be happy' to handle Hezbollah, Lebanese president to visit Washington
- DevelopingTrump says he is disappointed Israel hasn't 'moved' Hezbollah from Lebanon, hints at Syrian role
- DevelopingTrump: Syrian President al-Shara committed to help with Hezbollah
- StrongTrump says he believes Israel will withdraw from southern Lebanon, differing from Netanyahu's stance
Source and signal
- Internal intake