President Donald Trump said Wednesday it would be good if Israel withdraws from certain parts of Lebanon and southern Syria, according to a single report. Trump added that Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara would like to enter and destroy Hezbollah, and that he is considering giving him a green light to do so.
President Donald Trump has suggested that Israel should withdraw from parts of Lebanon and southern Syria, and that he is considering giving Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara a green light to destroy Hezbollah, according to a single report published Wednesday evening. The remarks add a new element to a series of recent statements by Trump on the region.
The development follows a thread of reports from Tuesday evening, July 14, at 21:06 Jerusalem. First, Channel 14 journalist Noam Amir reported that Trump made a demand and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused, without specifying the subject. Subsequently, a Russian source claimed that Netanyahu had rejected Trump's request to withdraw Israeli forces from Syria and Lebanon. Later, a report citing an unnamed source said Trump had told Netanyahu to begin an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and Syria. The new report now includes a direct call for withdrawal and a potential green light for Syrian action against Hezbollah.
The Zioneer has previously reported on Trump's statements regarding Syria and Hezbollah. On June 17, Trump said Syria would be happy to handle Hezbollah. On June 21, he said he was disappointed Israel hadn't moved Hezbollah and was close to letting Syria do it. On June 7, he endorsed more surgical strikes against Hezbollah. On July 9, he said Syrian President al-Shara had committed to help. On June 22, al-Shara said he would sit with Hezbollah at the same table.
The report is based on a single source and has not been verified by other outlets. The earlier reports also relied on unnamed or unconfirmed sources, leaving the specifics of Trump's demands and the Syrian role unverified.
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