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US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should withdraw its forces from Syria and urged him to do the same in Lebanon, according to reports from Axios and Israeli media. The reports, citing unnamed US and Israeli officials, say Trump conveyed his position during a phone call with Netanyahu on July 9.

One US official told Axios that Trump warned Netanyahu that the presence of Israeli forces on Syrian territory 'creates tensions and could lead to an escalation.' The official quoted Trump as saying, 'They don't want you there. You should redeploy,' referring to Syria, and added that the same applied to Lebanon.

Coverage comparison

The Jerusalem Post reported on the Axios report, noting that Trump 'allegedly' told Netanyahu that Israel should remove IDF troops from Syria and Lebanon. The Post's coverage described the phone call as taking place on Thursday, which corresponds to July 9, and cited US and Israeli officials. It also placed the report in the context of Israel's current posture in Syria, including the buffer zone along the Golan Heights established after the 1973 war, and mentioned the US cultivation of warm ties with the new Syrian government of Ahmed al-Sharaa.

TASS, citing Axios, also reported the same phone call, quoting Trump's warning about escalation and his instruction to redeploy. TASS additionally reported that Netanyahu had informed his ministers that the US is insisting on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria, and that he intends to refuse the demand. According to TASS, citing Israel's Channel 13 television, Netanyahu said, 'I will tell them no.'

Both outlets attributed the information to Axios, which first reported the story. The Jerusalem Post and TASS did not provide independent confirmation of the phone call's contents.

Key claims

The central claim, reported by both the Jerusalem Post and TASS, is that Trump told Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli forces from Syria and Lebanon during a July 9 phone call. The claim is sourced to unnamed US and Israeli officials and was first published by Axios.

A related claim, also carried by both outlets, is that Trump warned that the presence of Israeli forces on Syrian territory could create tensions and lead to escalation. The Jerusalem Post described this as a warning that could 'create tension and may lead to escalation,' while TASS used the phrase 'creates tensions and could lead to an escalation.'

A third claim, reported only by TASS, is that Netanyahu intends to refuse Washington's demand for withdrawals from Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria. TASS attributed this to Channel 13 television, which cited a source. The same report said Netanyahu plans to fly to the United States on Monday for a meeting with Trump and to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham.

Another claim, carried only by the Jerusalem Post, is that the US has cultivated warm ties with the new Syrian government of Ahmed al-Sharaa. The Post's article included a photo caption describing a handshake between Trump and al-Sharaa at a NATO leaders summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026.