Trump condemns Israel’s repeated attacks on Lebanon

(LifeSiteNews) — During the 52nd G7 Summit held earlier this week in Évian-les-Bains, France, President Donald Trump publicly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign in Lebanon within the backdrop of his signing a framework agreement with Iran bringing the war to an end.

This “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU), which Trump signed at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday, reads in part that the U.S. and Iran, “and their allies in the current war … declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” with the commitment of “ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon.”

Since the start of the current war, Israel has employed “Gaza tactics,” displacing more than 1.2 million people in southern Lebanon, razing their towns and villages to the ground, killing at least 3,798 people and injuring 11,781, about 20% of whom are women, children or first responders — all in the clear attempt to expand their nation’s borders northward.

During the final stages of the U.S.’s negotiations with Iran, Israel launched strikes just south of Beirut in Dahiyeh, including the destruction of at least one apartment building that Trump publicly condemned.

At the time on Sunday, the 47^th president wrote on Truth Social that the attack “should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran. Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured, or killed, and should not disrupt this important process.”

Speaking at a press conference as the summit concluded Wednesday, Trump described the “little dispute over Lebanon” he had with Netanyahu, explaining “I say, ‘You can do a little softer touch, Bibi. You don’t have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that’s from Hezbollah.’”

Howard Lutnik has been giggling & chuckling at everything Trump has said today.

Now watch his response while Trump attacks Netanyahu. 👇🤔 pic.twitter.com/eR17SEgFsh

— Cuckturd (@CattardSlim) June 17, 2026

He added, “I’m not saying they shouldn’t protect themselves. I’m saying when two drones are shot into the desert and drop harmlessly, you don’t have to knock down buildings in Beirut. They could behave better, and frankly, they could do a better job.”

Though he expressed appreciation for Netanyahu and his government, he assessed that “they could do a much better job with Hezbollah. On that, I don’t think they’re doing well.”

‘Great culture’ of Lebanon, ‘trashed’ and ‘living in hell’

Turning his attention to the Lebanese, he expressed sympathy, stating, “I feel very bad for Lebanon … (which) was a great culture … they had the professors, the doctors, the lawyers. It was an incredible culture, maybe the highest in the Middle East for years and years, centuries. And for the last 50, 60 years, they have been just trashed. They have been living in hell.”

🚨 TRUMP: “I think (Israel)] could do better … I’m not saying they shouldn’t protect themselves. I’m saying when two drones are shot into the desert and drop harmlessly, you don’t have to knock down buildings in Beirut. They could behave better…” pic.twitter.com/RfLaNagFYz

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) June 17, 2026

After sharing Netanyahu’s acknowledging his state of nine million people was “the very small partner” of the much larger U.S., Trump did mention that “we did send a copy (of the Memorandum of Understanding) to Israel, by the way.”

Commenting on the statements in a monologue titled “Trump Finally Puts Bibi in His Place and Neocons Cry Over Peace in Iran,” Tucker Carlson marked the significance of this drastic change in Trump’s relationship with Israel.

“Oh, you sent them a copy, did you? You ‘BCC’d’ them? Didn’t consult Israel? They’re a participant. They’re our partner in this war. This is a joint war we are waging with the government of Israel … and we just reached the outline of a peace agreement with the country we are fighting with Israel without consulting Israel. We sent them a copy,” the popular pundit lampooned, celebrating with laughter how Trump completely dismissed Israel as having any relevance to the making of important decisions even after this “very small partner” steered the U.S. into this major war.

Al-Qaeda leader ‘more humane’ than the Israeli prime minister

Carlson went on to paraphrase Trump’s recognition that Israel’s operations in Lebanon were “brutal” with the knocking down of buildings, and then later in his presser, the U.S. president made reference to Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the former al-Qaeda leader whom he helped situate as the president of Syria.

After expressing his disappointment with Israel, Trump said, al-Julani “would love to” attack Hezbollah in Lebanon, as they are “an enemy of his … but he wouldn’t knock down buildings every time he hears there’s somebody (from Hezbollah in them). He’d just go and get them with precision,” the president said, making an obvious comparison to Israel.

Highlighting the relevance of the remarks, Carlson continued paraphrasing Trump as meaning, “and by the way, that guy, the former al-Qaeda leader, he’s just a more reasonable person. He’s just more humane than Benjamin Netanyahu,” the commentator quipped. “I mean, I like them all. They’re all good guys. But really, if you’re looking for humane treatment of civilians, you’ve got to go to the al-Qaeda guy, not the Israeli prime minister,” he celebrated with significant laughter. “That’s what the president said! It’s unbelievable!”

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