US President Donald Trump criticised Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must be “more responsible” in handling operations in Lebanon.
Trump said the emerging US-Iran peace agreement would survive despite continued Israeli strikes.
He linked the deal to wider efforts to stabilise the region and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday underscored Washington’s support for Israel while also publicly criticising Tel Aviv’s military actions in Lebanon, saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must act “more responsible” in dealing with the conflict involving Hezbollah.
Speaking to reporters at the G7 Summit in France, Trump said the confrontation between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group had continued for too long and that “too many people are being killed.”
His remarks appeared to reference a recent Israeli strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, which took place shortly before the announcement of an interim peace agreement between the United States and Iran.
Trump criticised the scale of Israeli military operations, saying: “And you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody. Because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses. And they’re not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you.”
At the same time, Trump emphasised US backing for Israel and claimed that “there would have been no Israel without me.”
“Without the US, there’d be no Israel,” he said, adding that Tel Aviv “would have been blown up a long time ago had I not gotten involved.”
Despite expressing frustration with Israel’s conduct in Lebanon, Trump suggested the emerging agreement with Iran would remain intact even if Israeli strikes continue. He described the fighting with Hezbollah as a “minor war” and referred to the group as “the little pinprick out there that constantly rears its head.”
Asked about his relationship with Netanyahu, Trump said: “I’ve had a great relationship with Bibi, but now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon.”
Trump’s remarks come as Washington and Tehran prepare to sign a memorandum of understanding aimed at extending the current ceasefire and moving towards a broader settlement in West Asia.
The agreement could also pave the way for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has remained heavily disrupted since the outbreak of conflict between the US-Israel alliance and Iran earlier this year.
(inputs from The Indian Express)
