US President Donald Trump clarified today that he is not calling for Israel to halt its military campaign in Lebanon, but argued that the Israeli government must exercise “common sense” in its operations against Hezbollah. The remarks were made at the start of a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the final day of the G7 summit in Évian, France.
When questioned by journalists regarding whether he wanted Israel to suspend its offensive in Lebanese territory, Trump answered in the negative.
“No, I want Israel to be able to protect itself. But I want it to act with common sense,” the United States President stated.
The American leader’s position comes amid growing signs of friction between Washington and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning the execution of the military campaign. On Tuesday, Trump explicitly stated he was dissatisfied with how Netanyahu has conducted the operations against the pro-Iranian Shiite movement, urging him to be “more responsible” and heavily criticizing the high impact on the civilian population.
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Trump even went as far as suggesting that Syria should take a more prominent role in combating Hezbollah if Israel could not achieve its military objectives “without killing everyone else.” The diplomatic push occurs as international mediators race to solidify the regional ceasefire outlined in the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, set to be formally signed this Friday in Switzerland.
Despite the impending agreement, Israel has sustained its military incursions in Lebanon, maintaining that neutralizing Hezbollah infrastructure along its northern border remains an absolute security necessity.
