At the NATO Summit in Ankara on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he expected Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon, telling reporters that he had discussed the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking to journalists, Trump said: "Yeah, I think they9re going to. I think they want to," and added: "So we have a deal with Israel and Lebanon. Yeah, they9ll leave. And I think it9s going to work out very well."
Those remarks stand alongside recent comments by Prime Minister Netanyahu that point in a different direction. Last week, Netanyahu visited Lebanese territory occupied by the Israeli military and told soldiers that Israel would not pull back from the country9s south as long as Iran-backed Hezbollah continued to present a security threat.
The tension between the two public statements exists against the background of a U.S.-mediated security arrangement concluded on June 26. Under that agreement, Israel and Lebanon agreed on security measures that include Israel handing over two specified areas to the Lebanese army.
The president9s comments at the summit suggest Washington views the recently negotiated deal as a pathway toward an Israeli troop withdrawal, while the prime minister9s remarks underscore the conditional nature of any pullback based on perceived threats from Hezbollah. The public exchange highlights differing emphases from allied leaders over both timing and conditions for any change in Israeli deployments in southern Lebanon.
This account is limited to statements and agreements described publicly: Trump9s expression of expectation that Israel will leave parts of southern Lebanon; Netanyahu9s declaration that Israel would remain if Hezbollah continued to pose a threat; and the June 26 security agreement under which two areas are to be transferred to the Lebanese army.
Contextual note: The article reports only the statements and the named agreement as presented by officials at the NATO Summit and related public comments; it does not provide further details on timelines, implementation steps, or operational planning for any withdrawal.