Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday will hold a special discussion on Syria and Lebanon, according to a Wednesday morning report published by Channel 12 News.
The discussion will focus on the Syrian issue and its connection to Lebanon, following recent statements by US President Donald Trump.
Recently, Trump indicated that he is close to transferring responsibility for dealing with the Hezbollah terrorist organization to the Syrian regime of Ahmed al-Sharaa. Israeli officials are deeply concerned by the remarks and believe they are not merely rhetoric but reflect developments taking shape behind the scenes - without Israel's knowledge or consent.
Despite al-Sharaa’s denials regarding the deployment of Syrian forces, Israel has identified indications in recent weeks that the Syrian president is seeking a way to establish control over areas in Lebanon. Defense officials fear a return to the reality that existed until 2005, when Syria was the dominant power in Lebanon. Currently, the Damascus regime is attempting to strengthen its influence in border regions that for years served as weapons-smuggling routes and to cultivate internal power centers within Lebanon.
Israel is concerned about a scenario in which Damascus receives a more significant role in Lebanese affairs, aided by its ties with Trump and Syria’s growing rapprochement with Gulf states.
Earlier, Trump claimed to Fox News that Netanyahu needs to be "more responsible with respect to Lebanon." He also suggested that Syria "take care of Hezbollah" instead of Israel. Trump also added that he was "disappointed Israel can't put Hezbollah away" without blowing up buildings and expressed confidence that al-Sharaa would do a more precise job.
On the other hand, al-Sharaa made clear at the beginning of the week in an interview with a Gulf radio station that he does not intend to comply with American expectations to fight the terror group. Instead, he said, "Syria can be relied upon to seek a safe path toward a solution, but that does not mean war." He added that Syria’s role would be constructive and would work with Lebanese institutions, but stressed that turning Hezbollah into an element of the Iranian agreement would pose a very serious danger.