President Trump broke sharply with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, declaring Israel has been “fighting Hezbollah too long” and killing too many civilians in Lebanon — and that Syria should finish the job instead.
“If Israel can’t do the job without killing everyone else, he’ll do the job,” Mr. Trump said of Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. “Syria will do the job.”
Mr. Trump told reporters at the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, during a bilateral meeting with the Emir of the State of Qatar that Israel has been “fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are being killed,” and criticized the tactic of striking apartment buildings.
“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.”
Mr. Trump said he personally urged Israel to have Syria take over the role of fighting 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. “If Israel can’t do the job without killing everyone else, … Syria will do the job.”
The president expressed direct displeasure over an Israeli attack on Beirut that occurred as he was negotiating the U.S. peace deal with Iran, and he let this be known to Mr. Netanyahu.
When asked directly if he is frustrated with Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Trump said their relationship is “unbelievable” but stated, “Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon.”
Mr. Trump also described Syria’s new leader — whom he said he and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan helped install — as “very capable,” someone who “does not like” Hezbollah and has done “an amazing job of pulling it together.”
Mr. Trump also criticized a specific Israeli drone-related attack, describing the Israeli response as “vicious” and “too much.”
Israel signaled Monday it has no intentions of stopping combat operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite the U.S.-Iran deal promising a ceasefire on all fronts.
Israel Katz, Israel’s defense minister, wrote in a statement that he and Mr. Netanyahu were opposed to withdrawing Israeli forces from Lebanon, insisting that much of the country’s south would be demolished.
“Holding territory and maintaining security zones are among the IDF’s greatest achievements in the War of Revival, under the decisions and guidance of the political leadership,” he wrote, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
“Therefore, we oppose an IDF withdrawal from Lebanon, despite all existing pressures and those that may still come.”
Mr. Katz said Mr. Netanyahu made his position on withdrawal clear to Mr. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in conversations on Sunday.
• Vaughn Cockayne contributed to this report
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