Netanyahu must be 'more responsible' on Lebanon: Trump
The US president also revealed that he had advised Israel to allow Syria to take a greater role in confronting Hezbollah.
US President Donald Trump today (16 June) criticised Israel's handling of the conflict in Lebanon, saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must be "more responsible" and arguing that Israeli military operations against Hezbollah have gone on for too long and caused excessive civilian casualties.
Speaking to reporters in France, where he is attending G7 meetings, Trump said he remained a strong supporter of Israel but was dissatisfied with its conduct in Lebanon, reports Al Arabiya.
"I've had a great relationship with Bibi, but now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon," Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
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He expressed sympathy for Lebanon's situation, saying the country has been severely affected by the conflict and is struggling to cope with the presence of Hezbollah.
"I would say, of all countries, they've been treated the worst, and they can't defend themselves, and they have Hezbollah, which is a problem for them. So no, I'm not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah," he said.
Trump also reaffirmed US support for Israel, claiming that Washington's backing had been crucial to the country's security.
"Without the US, there'd be no Israel," he said, adding that Israel "would have been blown up a long time ago had I not gotten involved."
"Without me there would be no Israel, because no other president was willing to do what I did," he added.
The US president said Israel's campaign against Hezbollah had dragged on for too long and warned that prolonged military operations were harming broader diplomatic efforts in the region.
"They should have been able to do this yet 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 said.
Highlighting the impact of Israeli strikes on civilians, Trump said military operations should be conducted in a way that minimises harm to non-combatants.
"You don't have to knock down an apartment house every time you're looking for somebody because there's a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they're not all Hezbollah," he said.
Trump also revealed that he had advised Israel to allow Syria to take a greater role in confronting Hezbollah.
"I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah because, to be honest with you, I think they'd do a better job of doing it," he said.
