Trump urges Israel to be ‘more responsible’ over Lebanon at G7 summit
Context mode is active. Hover over any highlighted term to see its definition. Click a nested term to go deeper.
US President Donald Trump publicly pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the G7 summit in France, urging Israel to exercise 'more responsibility' and a 'softer touch' in its ongoing conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump's pointed remarks, delivered on the heels of a tentative US-Iran peace agreement, underscored Washington's frustration that the prolonged Israel-Hezbollah hostilities could derail the broader regional détente. The friction emerged during the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, where the US President criticized Israel's handling of the months-long Lebanon war, which reignited in March 2026 and has seen significant Israeli ground operations in southern Lebanon and escalating casualties. Tehran has explicitly stated that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding requires Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanon, a demand directly at odds with Netanyahu's insistence that Israeli troops will remain in newly established 'security zones' indefinitely. This public rebuke of a key ally highlights the precarious balancing act of the nascent US-Iran deal against persistent regional proxy conflicts. With Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem rejecting disarmament and calling for negotiations centered on mutual security, and Israeli officials maintaining their operational autonomy, the path to de-escalation remains fraught. The coming weeks will test the resilience of the US-Iran peace framework as a formal signing ceremony for the truce is expected, while the international community watches for any signs of a coordinated withdrawal or a further unraveling of stability on Israel's northern border.