Israel fears U.S. pressure over possible pullback from Mount Hermon
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Israeli media reported on Friday growing concern within Tel Aviv’s political and military circles about potential pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for an Israeli withdrawal from parts of southern Syria, including the summit of Mount Hermon, a key strategic position overlooking the Golan region.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli engineering teams are currently working on a high-altitude road leading to the mountain’s 2,800-meter summit. The report noted that the route had been under the control of forces loyal to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad until one year ago.
Construction companies contracted by the Israeli army are also reinforcing two military sites in the area ahead of the coming winter, which the paper described as an indication of Israel’s intention to maintain its presence for an extended period.
The report comes amid shifting political dynamics following an unprecedented meeting this week between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and President Trump at the White House, signaling what observers view as a new phase in U.S.–Syria engagement. For Israel, the evolving diplomatic environment has raised questions about future arrangements along the Syrian frontier.
Yedioth Ahronoth said recent discussions between representatives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Syrian president’s team did not yield tangible results. Israel reportedly seeks a revised ceasefire arrangement to replace the 1974 agreement that had remained in place from the rule of Hafez al-Assad through his son’s government until its collapse last year.
Israeli officials stressed that the talks do not involve normalization or a peace treaty but rather a de-escalation formula that Tel Aviv fears could become problematic if Washington compels Netanyahu to accept it—similar, they said, to the previous ceasefire arrangements with Hamas in Gaza.
Security officials in Israel, according to the report, are urging the government to maintain control over the Syrian summit of Mount Hermon, describing it as a cornerstone of northern security. The site provides vantage points for monitoring military movements toward the headquarters of the 210th Division in the Golan and tracking weapon-smuggling routes from Syria to Lebanon, particularly to Hezbollah.
Israeli deployments in the occupied Syrian Golan currently include eight military positions equipped with improved logistical and field infrastructure. These sites lie inside Syrian territory at varying distances from villages in the Hauran region, home to an estimated 70,000 residents. No significant incidents with civilians have been recorded, the report added, aside from limited disputes linked to personal firearms.
Israel is reportedly weighing the possibility of withdrawing from some of these positions in response to a request by the Syrian president, in exchange for a new ceasefire arrangement that would preserve its ability to act against threats originating from Hezbollah or Iran.
Although Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz insisted that the Mount Hermon summit remains a red line, the paper said final decisions may ultimately be shaped in Washington and Ankara.