US President Donald Trump today said that he was dissatisfied with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of Israel’s parallel war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, arguing that the prolonged fighting was complicating efforts to secure a broader agreement with Iran.
Speaking to reporters in France during the G7 summit, Trump said Israel should have concluded its military campaign more quickly.
“I’m not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah,” Trump said. “They should have been able to do the job faster. It just goes on forever, and when that happens, it throws a negative light on the big deal, and that’s the deal with Iran.”
Trump also criticised Israeli strikes in densely populated areas, saying military operations should avoid causing unnecessary civilian harm.
“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,” he pointed.
His remarks come as Washington and Tehran are pushing forth to finalise an agreement with Tehran aimed at ending the war and paving the way for further negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia has repeatedly threatened to undermine the ongoing diplomatic efforts to stabilise the region, as Tehran has consistently insisted that any lasting agreement must include the withdrawal of IDF forces from Lebanon.
Despite those demands, Israel has indicated it intends to maintain a military presence in parts of southern Lebanon.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Israeli troops would remain in a security zone extending across southern Lebanon, reaching roughly 25 miles inside Lebanese territory from the Israeli border, even after a US-Iran agreement takes effect.
On the ground, Lebanese media reported a relatively calm day on Tuesday following months of cross-border fighting, with reports suggesting only two Israeli attacks, one near a southern Lebanese town and another involving a drone strike on a vehicle.
Hezbollah did not announce any new attacks against Israel or Israeli forces during the day.
The relative lull in fighting comes at a particularly sensitive moment, with negotiations between Washington and Tehran entering a crucial phase ahead of a planned signing ceremony later this week.
