Trump scolds Netanyahu at G7 summit: ‘I feel bad for Lebanon’

Skip to content

President Trump on Wednesday aired his frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France, telling the Israeli leader to hold back attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon amid high-stakes negotiations with Iran.

Trump, speaking at a press conference as the summit concluded, said Netanyahu “gets a little excited sometimes” and that the two men had a “little dispute” over Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“In all fairness to Bibi Netanyahu, happens to be a good man, gets a little excited sometimes,” Trump said.

“We have a little dispute over Lebanon. 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.”

The president’s remarks were more measured than comments he made earlier this week, when he slammed Netanyahu in a profanity-laced tirade, saying the longtime Israeli leader had no judgment.

But the president repeating his frustrations with Netanyahu, and shortly before he is expected to sign a formal deal with Iran on Friday, underscores the depth of the tensions. He started his press conference calling out Israel for retreating from a military operation to assassinate a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, in January 2020.

“Israel, but they didn’t want to do that attack. They were all set the night before the attack, then for me they didn’t want to do it,” he said.

Trump and Netanyahu are on separate pages on how to end the war with Iran that the two men started with unprecedented cooperation at the end of February.

Iran is using Lebanon as a wedge to further separate Trump and Netanyahu, with the Islamic Republic insisting Israel halt strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon as part of the ceasefire with the U.S.

Trump on Wednesday said Israel had the right to self-defense, but he framed the Israeli military’s retaliatory strikes against Hezbollah targets in Beirut earlier this week as an overreaction.

“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,” Trump said.

“I love them [Israel] as a partner, they were terrific, but they could do a much better job with Hezbollah on that. I don’t think they’re doing well, and I feel very bad for Lebanon.”

Trump told Axios on Sunday that the Israeli strikes in Beirut almost scuttled the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Iran to a ceasefire, agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and enter into negotiations related to their nuclear program.

“Why did Bibi have to do a f‑‑‑ing attack? I was so p‑‑‑ed off. I let him know. He has no f‑‑‑ing judgment. I let him know that,” Trump said.

Updated at 1:31 p.m. EDT

Tags

Benjamin Netanyahu

Bibi Netanyahu

Donald Trump

Qassem Soleimani

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.