Netanyahu gave al-Sharaa hours to pull Syrian forces from Suwayda or face intensified Israeli strikes, i24NEWS reports

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa an ultimatum during a July 16, 2025 phone call to withdraw Syrian forces from Suwayda within hours or face intensified Israeli strikes, according to a transcript reported by i24NEWS.

"I want to be brief. Apparently, the message through the mediators was not properly understood," Netanyahu reportedly told al-Sharaa during the 1:30 p.m. call. He said violence against the Druze amounted to "genocide" and demanded that Syrian forces leave Suwayda by 10 p.m.

Al-Sharaa replied that he had hoped the conversation would proceed differently and asked for 48 hours, according to the reported transcript.

Netanyahu rejected the request. "That is unacceptable. First withdraw your forces," he said after warning that Israel would intensify its strikes if Damascus failed to comply.

Several hours later, Israel struck Syria's Defense Ministry and an area near the presidential palace in Damascus as fighting continued in Suwayda. Syrian government forces subsequently began withdrawing from the Druze-majority city.

Netanyahu publicly confirmed Thursday that he had personally spoken to al-Sharaa during the July crisis, describing the call as "very short" and "very sharp" and crediting Israeli military pressure and the conversation with helping stop the violence.

The transcript has not been publicly confirmed by the Syrian presidency. i24NEWS said it was among security and diplomatic records obtained from documents held by Israel's State Comptroller.