U.S. President Donald Trump has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an upcoming visit to the White House, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office. During their phone call, the two leaders emphasized the importance of dismantling Hamas, ensuring a demilitarized Gaza Strip, and expanding regional peace agreements. The planned visit will mark Netanyahu’s fifth since Trump returned to office in January, following a year of frequent meetings focused largely on Gaza and the October cease-fire that ended the two-year conflict, See more…
In recent months, Trump has repeatedly expressed strong support for Netanyahu, portraying him as a decisive leader in the fight against Hamas. He reportedly urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant Netanyahu a full pardon for his ongoing legal cases. Meanwhile, the U.S. administration has been pushing to expand the Abraham Accords with additional Arab states—including efforts to bring Syria’s new interim government closer to Israel following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. Trump has praised interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa for steering the country toward renewed regional stability.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, relations between Israel and Syria remain tense, primarily due to the status of the Golan Heights—territory Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed, a move Trump officially recognized in 2019. Israeli forces have conducted several operations inside Syrian territory this year, including interventions in Sweida Province to protect the Druze community and missions along the border. On November 28, six Israeli soldiers were wounded during an operation near the Syrian village of Beit Jinn, where the IDF said it was targeting militants linked to the Jamaa Islamiya group.
According to the Israeli military, the raid resulted in several arrests and the elimination of multiple militants, supported by helicopters, drones, and fighter jets. Syrian authorities presented a starkly different account, claiming more than ten civilians were killed and hundreds displaced. The United Nations condemned the Israeli incursion as a serious violation of Syrian sovereignty, warning that the situation remains highly fragile and that further escalation could undermine regional stability.
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