President Donald Trump said alongside Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara that he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and believes Israel will withdraw, according to Israel Hayom.
President Donald Trump told Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara during a joint appearance this afternoon that he had discussed an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that he expects Israel to withdraw. The statement, first reported by Israel Hayom and confirmed by The Zioneer, adds a new detail to the sequence of reports from the same event.
Initial reports from the joint appearance, published at 17:36 Jerusalem, quoted Trump as saying he believes Israel will withdraw from southern Lebanon, without specifying whether he had spoken to Netanyahu. A second report, attributed to journalist Amit Segal (N12), added that Trump said Syria could assist in the process. A third report, also from the same time, confirmed Trump said Syria can help the United States in the region. The Zioneer's own reporting now adds that Trump explicitly stated he discussed the matter with Netanyahu.
As The Zioneer has reported in recent weeks, Trump has made a series of statements on the Lebanon front: on June 15 he said he hoped the situation could be resolved; on June 16 he pressed Netanyahu for a withdrawal by Friday; on June 18 he told Channel 14 that Hezbollah must disarm; on June 19 he reportedly aligned with Iran's demand that Israel stop attacking Hezbollah; on June 21 his administration demanded a partial Israeli withdrawal; and on June 23 Iran claimed Trump gave his word that Israel would be compelled to withdraw. Today's remarks to al-Shara continue the pattern of public advocacy for an Israeli pullout.
It remains unclear whether Israel has agreed to any timeline or whether the conversation between Trump and Netanyahu included a commitment. The Zioneer will continue to track developments.
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