US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit, in the eastern French town of Evian-les-Bains near Switzerland. AFP
Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, alongside the Emir of Qatar, Trump highlighted what he described as his pivotal role in supporting Israel.
"Without the US, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did," Trump said. "I have had a great relationship with Bibi. Now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon."
The US president went further, asserting that "Israel would have been blown up a long time ago" had he not intervened, and urged Netanyahu to “be more responsible” on Lebanon.
Trump's remarks come amid growing tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv over Israel's brutal war in Lebanon, which has continued despite ongoing US-led negotiations with Iran aimed at reducing regional tensions, with Israel killing at least 3,900 people, wounding around 12,000 and displacing more than one million Lebanese.
The apparent rift widened following an Israeli airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut on Sunday, the same day Trump announced that a new agreement with Iran would be signed electronically.
In an interview with Axios, Trump reacted angrily to the strike, questioning Netanyahu's decision to launch the attack at a sensitive diplomatic moment.
“Why did Bibi have to do a f‑‑‑ing attack?” adding, “I was so p‑‑‑ed off. I let him know. He has no f‑‑‑ing judgment. I let him know that.”
Netanyahu, however, has signalled that Israel intends to maintain its military occupation in Lebanon despite the preliminary understanding reached between Washington and Tehran.
"The struggle has not ended," the Israeli prime minister said on Monday, stressing that Israeli forces would remain deployed in designated security zones.
"I want to make clear: We will remain in the security zones as long as required in order to defend our country," Netanyahu said.
Iran warned that continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon would be considered a breach of the interim agreement to end the war, scheduled to be signed in Switzerland on Friday.
Despite challenges to the fragile peace deal and a tense relationship with Netanyahu, who said his country was not consulted in the memorandum of understanding, Trump on Monday said: “Great things are going to happen.”
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