U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a rare public rebuke of Israel’s military tactics in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah militants, saying it was unnecessary to bomb entire apartment buildings to hunt militants.
Trump, who in recent days had expressed displeasure over Israeli attacks in Beirut that he said could have endangered his peace deal with Iran, said Israel has been fighting Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned Lebanese militia, for “too long.” “Too many people have been killed. 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,” Trump said at the G7 summit in France.
Rising Tensions With Netanyahu
His complaint comes amid rising tensions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has remained a key political ally despite occasional friction over the years. Israeli officials are quietly frustrated about the Iran deal Trump struck, while Trump is growing impatient with Netanyahu over strikes on Beirut that triggered Iranian attacks just as he was finalising the peace agreement. Trump said he has a “great relationship” with Netanyahu but added he should be “more responsible” with Lebanon. “Without us, without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel, because no other president was willing to do what I did.”
White House Response
Shortly after his remarks, an official White House social media account posted a video of those specific comments. The White House did not explain why, but said Trump has a strong relationship with Netanyahu and that the Israel Defence Forces were “incredible partners.” “There has been no greater friend to Israel and a fighter for peace than President Trump,” a White House official said.
No Sign of Policy Shift
There is no indication that Trump’s comments would translate into meaningful policy changes. Israel has faced sharp criticism over its assault on Gaza, which has killed 73,000 people, most of them civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry. Israel says it never targets non-combatants and that groups like Hamas and Hezbollah use civilians as human shields. The Israeli embassy in Washington did not comment.
(with input from Reuters)
