US President Donald Trump has criticised Israel's prolonged war in Lebanon, where “too many people are being killed”, suggesting Syria could instead “take care of Hezbollah”.
Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in the French spa town of Evian-les-Bains, Mr Trump said he “didn't like” Israel's latest strike on Beirut, which occurred just hours before a deal was announced to end the US-Iran war.
“I didn't like that two hours before we signed the agreement that there was an attack in Lebanon, in Beirut. I didn't like that, not at all,” Mr Trump said. He said he had shared his concerns with Israeli officials.
Mr Trump offered a rare rebuke of Israel's attacks on civilians in Lebanon, suggesting that Syria could do a “better job” at fighting Hezbollah – an idea that he has floated before, despite Damascus rejecting the proposal. At least 3,783 people have been killed in Israeli strikes across Lebanon since fighting resumed in early March, according to Lebanese authorities.
Washington has attempted to broker and implement several ceasefires in Lebanon, none of which have ended hostilities completely.
“Israel's fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are being killed, and 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,” said Mr Trump.
“I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah, because to be honest, I think they do a better job of doing it,” he added.
Mr Trump praised Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara for “doing an amazing job” in his country as it recovers from civil war. “He's very capable, and he's been very good for me,” the US leader said.
"I was very responsible for Syria, and the man that's running Syria now is a person that I put there along with [Turkish] President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan and some others," he stated.
“He is very good with Hezbollah, does not like them,” Mr Trump added. “If Israel can't do the job without killing everyone else, he'll do the job. Syria will do the job,” he added.
A Syrian presidential adviser said last week that Damascus was not interested in any military or security role in neighbouring Lebanon.
Ahmad Zidan, adviser to President Al Shara, said Syria supports the Lebanese state's efforts to extend its authority across the country but believes support for Beirut should come through strengthening state institutions rather than military intervention. He added that such approaches have repeatedly failed in the region.
Mr Al Shara has also denied reports that Syria plans to intervene in Lebanon militarily. The idea of any military role for Syria in Lebanon is highly sensitive and evokes memories of Syria's occupation of the country between 1976 and 2005.
Mr Trump also said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” describing Israel's latest strike on Beirut as “vicious”.
“I saw that attack, I saw where that bomb went. That was vicious; that was too much,” he told reporters.
“[Mr Netanyahu] can do too much, but we've had a very effective relationship,” said Mr Trump, adding: “Without us, without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel.”
Despite insisting he had an “unbelievable relationship” with the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Trump said: ”I'm not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah. They should have been able to do this 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.”
