'They're not all Hezbollah': Trump criticises Israel killing civilians in Lebanon
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Alex MacDonald
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Wed, 06/17/2026 - 09:50
US president warns Netanyahu that without him there would 'be no Israel'
US President Donald Trump attends a meeting at the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France, on 17 June 2026 (Ludovic Marin/AFP)
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US President Donald Trump has criticised Israeli conduct in southern Lebanon, saying the country has been killing civilians and not just Hezbollah members.
Speaking at the G7 summit on Tuesday, Trump said "too many people have been killed in Lebanon" and suggested Israeli tactics were disproportionate and indiscriminate.
"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 said.
He added that overall Israel had been fighting with the Lebanese armed group for "too long".
Trump's comments come amid growing tensions between the US and Israel over the recently announced memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end the conflict with Iran.
Numerous Israeli officials have expressed opposition to the deal, in particular terms that suggest an end to Israel's attacks on Lebanon.
On Sunday, Trump excoriated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for launching attacks in Lebanon that threatened to derail the final agreement just hours before it was announced.
"He's a very difficult guy," Trump said of Netanyahu, "and to be honest with you, he should be very thankful to us for doing this. Because if Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn't be around for two hours."
'Without me, there would be no Israel'
Last week, in a phone call, the president reportedly told Netanyahu he was "fucking crazy" over his attacks on Lebanon.
He reiterated on Tuesday his suggestion that Israel's continued existence was reliant on US support.
While he said he maintained a "great relationship" with Netanyahu, he added that the prime minister should be "more responsible" with Lebanon.
"Without us, without the United States, there would be no Israel," he said.
What does the US-Iran deal mean for Lebanon?
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"Without me, there would be no Israel, because no other president was willing to do what I did."
Israel has been occupying southern Lebanon since mid-March, ostensibly in response to Hezbollah attacks, themselves prompted by Israel's attack on Iran.
The deal agreed on Sunday has reportedly prompted some displaced Lebanese civilians to begin returning to their homes in the south - despite little clarity over whether Israel would end its attacks and outright refusals to withdraw forces from the region.
Lebanon's Ministry of Health says Israeli attacks since 2 March across the country have killed at least 3,696 people and injured 11,413 others.
The end of the fighting in Lebanon had been a key sticking point for Iran in its negotations with the US and the refusal of Israel to withdraw could end up torpedoing the deal.
"Only yesterday, Hezbollah attacked northern Israel, and Israel carried out strikes in Lebanon, including in Beirut's southern suburbs, while senior Israeli officials continue to insist, at least verbally, on maintaining freedom of action against perceived threats in Lebanon - separating Lebanon from any broader US-Iran understanding," Issam Kayssi, a research analyst at the Carnegie Middle East Center, told Middle East Eye on Monday.
"Will the US now force a change in Israeli actions? The Israelis show no sign that they are willing to withdraw from southern Lebanon anytime soon. Will Hezbollah accept this?"
Israel's war on Lebanon
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