Trump criticises Israel’s Lebanon offensive, says war has gone on too long

For more than two years, Israel has faced criticism from abroad over its military campaign, with many countries and human rights organisations accusing it of waging a disproportionate and indiscriminate war that has killed tens of thousands in Gaza and expanded into Lebanon and other fronts. Some countries and NGOs announced that Israel’s actions amount to genocide.

At the same time, others — particularly within Israel’s right wing — argue the opposite, saying the country has acted with excessive restraint against militant groups committed to its destruction and should move more decisively to eliminate the threat.

US President Donald Trump appeared to echo both viewpoints during remarks at the G7 summit in France on Tuesday, The Times of Israel reported

Trump said Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah had dragged on for too long and criticised the high civilian toll, arguing that entire apartment buildings should not be destroyed while targeting militants. Minutes later, however, he suggested Israel should have concluded the operation more quickly, saying he was dissatisfied with the way it had handled the conflict.

On Wednesday, Trump again struck an ambiguous tone, saying he did not want Israel’s fight against Hezbollah to end but urged it to exercise “good judgment” while defending itself.

His comments underscored the difficult position Israel finds itself in. While opinion polls indicate that many Israelis support efforts to disarm Hezbollah, analysts say achieving that objective requires a mix of military pressure and diplomatic engagement.

However, the emerging understanding between Washington and Tehran appears to favour ending hostilities in Lebanon, signalling diminishing US support for continued Israeli military operations against Hezbollah. Trump himself framed the Lebanon conflict as a distraction from broader negotiations with Iran.

Analysts warn that Israel could soon face a difficult choice: maintain military pressure on Hezbollah at the risk of straining ties with Washington, or preserve US diplomatic backing by scaling back a conflict many Israelis regard as a pressing national security priority.

“Trump is not in the business of prolonged or forever wars,” Ksenia Svetlova, executive director of the Regional Organization for Peace, Economics and Security, told The Times of Israel. She said Washington’s priority is to avoid both a war in Lebanon and a wider confrontation with Iran, even if Israel’s core security objectives remain unmet.