US-Israeli Policy Divide: Trump Urges Israel to Maintain Dialogue with Syria as Israeli Army Penetrates Syrian Countryside

The political and diplomatic arena witnessed clear divergences between the US administration and the Israeli government. US President Donald Trump called on Israel "to maintain a strong and real dialogue with Syria, and that nothing should happen that contradicts Syria's development into a prosperous state."

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump expressed that "The United States is very satisfied with the results achieved... in Syria," indicating that the administration is doing everything possible "to ensure the Syrian government continues to do what is intended, which is essential, for building a real and prosperous nation." He noted that ending the cruel and painful sanctions greatly helped the Syrians.

Trump also praised the "new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa," asserting that he "is working hard to ensure good things happen, and that both Syria and Israel have a long and prosperous relationship together. This is a historic opportunity, adding to the success already achieved, for peace in the Middle East!"

Conversely, Axios reported, citing two senior US officials, that the "Trump administration is worried that repeated Israeli strikes inside Syria threaten to destabilize the country and undermine hopes for a security deal between Israel and Syria." The officials confirmed that the White House did not receive advance notice of the latest Israeli operation, and the Israelis did not warn Syria via military channels as they had in previous cases.

The American officials believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "is interfering in ways that are not useful at all," noting that he ordered military action across the border in Syria on several occasions recently. One US official noted that "The Syrians have gone crazy. They demanded a response because of the killing of Syrian civilians," emphasizing that "Syria does not want trouble with Israel... But Bibi (Netanyahu) sees ghosts everywhere." A senior US official warned that Netanyahu's continued actions are "self-defeating" and "he is missing a great diplomatic opportunity and is turning the new Syrian government into an enemy."

In stark contrast to Trump's advice, Israeli Army forces penetrated the Hamriya hill in the northern Quneitra countryside of Syria on Monday evening. Syrian official news agency SANA reported that an Israeli patrol, consisting of four military vehicles and two tanks, penetrated the area, in addition to earlier incursions at Al-Hamidiya and Tal Abu Qubeis, where Israeli forces fired shots with the aim of intimidating civilians.

This tension arises amidst Trump's push for a security agreement between Israel and Syria, following the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime. In a parallel development, Netanyahu received an invitation from Trump on Monday for a visit to the White House "in the near future," where the two leaders discussed expanding peace agreements and disarming Hamas. In Damascus, transitional head Ahmad al-Sharaa discussed recent regional developments with US Special Representative for Syria Thomas Barrack.

In a separate context, the Landmine Monitor reported that the number of casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war in Syria increased to 1,015 people last year, mostly returning civilians, signaling significant risks following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.