Trump Sends Israel Fierce Warning: "Do Not Interfere" with Syria’s Development 

In a stark and unprecedented message directed at Israel, United States President Donald Trump warned Jerusalem not to take any action that could "interfere with the development of Syria" into a prosperous state. The warning, delivered via social media and coinciding with a diplomatic visit by a U.S. envoy to Damascus, comes in the wake of a fierce firefight last week in southern Syria where six IDF soldiers were wounded.

President Trump stated that the U.S. is "very pleased" with the results achieved in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, which he attributed to "hard work and determination." He stressed that Washington is working to ensure the Syrian government "continues to do what is expected of it," calling it "significant" for building a "real and prosperous nation."

Call for "Genuine Dialogue"

Trump called on Israel to enter into a "strong and genuine dialogue" with Syria, arguing that this is a "historic opportunity" for "peace in the Middle East." He specifically praised Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying he is "working diligently to ensure good things happen" and to establish a "long-term and prosperous relationship" between the two countries.

The statement follows a visit by Trump's envoy, Tom Barrack, who met with Al-Sharaa in Damascus to discuss regional developments and issues of mutual interest. This public message marks the first clear signal from the American President to Israel since the complex military incident.

The Beit Jinn Incident

The warning directly follows a chaotic incident last Friday morning in the Arab-Sunni village of Beit Jinn, located just 11 kilometers from the Israeli border near Mount Hermon, a strategic point often used by smugglers and terrorists.

An IDF force entered the town for a routine patrol and was immediately ambushed, resulting in a fierce exchange of fire that wounded seven Israeli soldiers, three of them seriously. The force was compelled to abandon a military Humvee, which was later located and struck by the Israeli Air Force (IAF). Syrian channels reported fierce aerial and artillery fire in the surrounding areas, with one channel claiming locals had surrounded the Israeli force and that the clash was triggered by an attempt to "kidnap a resident."

Military sources confirmed that the senior suspect arrested in the village, along with his brother, belongs to the Al-Jama’ah Al-Islamiyyah organization, an offshoot of the Lebanese group with Sunni-Muslim leanings and close ties to the Hamas terrorist leadership in Lebanon. Military officials noted that Hamas and Hezbollah have a vested interest in promoting terror infrastructure in southern Syria to attack Israel without paying a price in Lebanon.

Intelligence Failures and Diplomatic Harm

Military officials from the IDF’s Division 210 in the Northern Command criticized the operation's intelligence, which sources described as "lacking, to say the least." The firefight proved that the unit commanders were unaware of at least 20 armed terrorists operating in the area, suggesting a much wider terrorist network than anticipated. One security source added that the terrorist infrastructure may have received cooperation from locals through payment or intimidation.

A senior American official stated that the U.S. believes Israel's actions in Syria are actively damaging U.S. efforts to promote a security agreement between Israel and the new Syrian government. Syrian officials claim that subsequent Israeli airstrikes, used to cover the extraction of the wounded soldiers, killed approximately 20 Syrians, many of them civilians, escalating calls within Syria for retaliation against Israel.