US President Donald Trump has publicly criticised Israel's military tactics in Lebanon , saying whole residential buildings should not be bombed in the alleged pursuit of Hezbollah fighters. Speaking at the G7 summit in Evian, France, on Tuesday, Trump said too many people had been killed and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act "more responsibly" in Lebanon.
"You don't have to destroy an apartment building every time you're looking for someone, because there are a lot of people in those apartment buildings, and they're not all Hezbollah ," Trump said.
The remarks came amid growing tensions between Trump and Netanyahu over Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon, which Washington fears could undermine a US-brokered memorandum of understanding with Iran.
Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration in recent days over Israeli strikes on Beirut, arguing they threatened the agreement reached with Tehran and suggesting Israel's campaign against Hezbollah had gone on "longer than necessary".
Speaking at the summit, Trump said he had a "great relationship" with Netanyahu but added that the Israeli leader needed to show greater responsibility.
"Without us, without the United States, there would be no Israel . And without me, there would be no Israel, because no other president was willing to do what I did," he declared.
Israeli media have described the US-Iran memorandum of understanding as a major rupture in relations between Washington and Tel Aviv, with some outlets portraying Israel as sidelined by the deal.
The draft agreement obtained by CNN calls for an "immediate and permanent end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon ", and commits the parties to refrain from future hostilities as negotiations continue on a broader settlement.
Israeli commentators have expressed frustration and feelings of betrayal over what is seen as a US decision to move ahead with Iran, amid pressing for an end to the conflict in Lebanon without Israeli involvement.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel would not withdraw from southern Lebanon, either before the expected signing of the memorandum on Friday or afterwards.
"Israel will not bow to external dictates. The military campaign in Lebanon will continue without concessions, and there will be no withdrawal from southern Lebanon, neither on Friday nor after Friday," Smotrich told Israel's Channel 14. The comments came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz also ruled out an immediate withdrawal from areas occupied by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, as well as in Gaza and Syria, saying the military presence would continue for as long as Israel deemed necessary.
On the ground, Israeli strikes continued across southern Lebanon, killing at least four people on Tuesday in successive Israeli attacks targeting three vehicles in the south.
An Israeli drone struck two cars in the town of Mayfadoun in the Nabatieh district. A third vehicle was hit in nearby Choukine, killing four people and wounding others in an initial toll, according to Lebanon's news agency NNA. Other Israeli attacks were reported in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Ansariyeh in Sidon district and Kfar Tebnit in Nabatieh district, while artillery shelling hit the Ali al-Taher hills and areas around Nabatieh al-Fawqa, according to Lebanese and regional media reports. Lebanon's health ministry said the death toll from Israel's assault on Lebanon since 2 March had risen to 3,826 killed and 11,851 wounded.