Israel's Netanyahu responds to Donald Trump warning on Syria

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a deal with Syria was possible if the two sides could negotiate in “a good spirit.”

It followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning to Israel not to “interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous State” and urging it to have “a strong and true dialogue” with Damascus.

“What we expect Syria to do, of course, is to establish a demilitarized buffer zone from Damascus to the buffer zone area, including, of course, the approaches to Mount Hermon and the summit of Mount Hermon,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Tuesday.

Why It Matters

The remarks come as tensions escalate along Israel’s northern border. Since Ahmed al-Sharaa took power in Syria after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Israel has advanced into what had been a demilitarized buffer zone in southern Syria near the Golan Heights, citing Syria’s instability as justification.

Al-Sharaa visited the White House in November, and the Trump administration is advocating for formal peace accords between Israel and Syria. Syria has also been coordinating with the United States on counter-ISIS operations.

What To Know

Israeli forces raided a Syrian village on Friday and opened fire when confronted by residents, killing at least 13 people in the deadliest Israeli attack since its troops seized territory in southern Syria a year ago.

Trump had said in a Truth Social post on Monday that his administration is “very satisfied” with al-Sharaa’s efforts to stabilize the country as it approaches the one-year anniversary of al-Assad’s ousting. Netanyahu spoke to Trump after the post, and the two discussed expanding peace accords in the region, according to The Times of Israel.

Trump has publicly endorsed a presidential pardon for Netanyahu amid his ongoing corruption trial in Israel. During his first term, Trump initiated the Abraham Accords, facilitating normalized relations between Israel and the Arab nations. Since his return to office in 2025, his administration has encouraged Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Syria to sign similar agreements.

Israel occupied the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War, and the United Nations recognizes the area as part of Syria. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recently warned that Israel continues an “expansionist agenda” in Palestinian areas, the occupied Syrian Golan, and southern Lebanon.

“In Syria, Israel is working to double the settler population in the occupied Golan and claims it will stay indefinitely in newly occupied areas further inside Syria,” OHCR said in a press release on November 17.

What People Are Saying

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Tuesday: “We hold these territories to ensure the security of the citizens of Israel, and that is what obligates us. In a good spirit and understanding of these principles, it is also possible to reach an agreement with the Syrians, but we will stand by our principles in any case.”

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Monday on Truth Social: “It is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous State. The new President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is working diligently to make sure good things happen, and that both Syria and Israel will have a long and prosperous relationship together. This is a historic opportunity, and adds to the SUCCESS, already attained, for PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST!”

Syria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday: “[Syria] considers the continuation of these criminal attacks a threat to regional security and stability, reflecting a systematic policy aimed at destabilizing the situation and imposing an aggressive reality by force. Syria reiterates its call to the Security Council, the United Nations, and the Arab League to take urgent action to end the aggression and repeated violations committed by the Israeli occupation against the Syrian people.”