Washington, July 15 -- US President Donald Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to initiate the withdrawal of Israeli military units from southern Syria and Lebanon during a telephone conversation last week, according to a report by Axios, which cited American and Israeli officials.

The report indicated that Trump cautioned that Israel's sustained military footprint within Syrian territory could trigger heightened regional volatility.

"They don't want you there. You should redeploy," Trump told Netanyahu, according to a US official cited by Axios. The official further noted that Trump delivered "the same" message concerning Israel's strategic military positioning in southern Lebanon.

The reported discussion occurred a ...