Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a discussion on Wednesday about Syria and its implications for Lebanon, after President Donald Trump said he was close to handing Syria the job of dealing with Hezbollah. Israeli officials are alarmed and do not believe Trump’s remarks are mere loose talk, but rather something that is being shaped behind the scenes.
The concern in Jerusalem is that Syria could again become dominant in Lebanon, as it was for decades until 2005. Over recent weeks, Israel has identified signs that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa may be looking for ways to take control of areas in Lebanon. Israeli assessments say Damascus is trying to expand its influence along border areas long used for weapons smuggling, and may be cultivating local power brokers inside Lebanon.
Trump said earlier that Netanyahu should be “more responsible” on Lebanon and suggested that Syria might handle Hezbollah. On Fox News, he said he was “disappointed” that Israel cannot “move” Hezbollah and added, “They can’t do anything without blowing up a few buildings.” He said he was close to “giving it to Syria,” meaning allowing al-Sharaa to enter southern Lebanon and fight Hezbollah, though al-Sharaa has effectively rejected that idea.
In an interview with a Gulf radio station earlier this week, al-Sharaa said Syria could be trusted to seek “a safe path to a solution,” but that this did not mean war. He said Syria’s role would be “entirely positive,” warned that Hezbollah is increasingly seen as part of the “Iranian file,” and called that a “very big danger.” He said Syria would work through Lebanese institutions and the Lebanese state.
Israeli security officials see the proposal as their worst-case scenario. One Israeli source told Channel 12 it would be “like throwing a match into a powder keg” and could bring “al-Qaeda and Erdogan” to the northern border. The security establishment is also examining new options against Hezbollah, including a plan that would allow the Lebanese army to take over Hezbollah’s tunnel complex in the southern village of Tebnine. That idea was discussed in recent political and military talks and could come up again in the next negotiation round on Tuesday.
