US President Donald Trump publicly criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct in Lebanon during a press conference at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on Wednesday.
The comments came amid mounting friction between Israel and US over US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU).
"Bibi Netanyahu happens to be a good man, but he gets a little excited sometimes," Trump said, while still calling him an "amazing prime minister."
"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,'" Trump said.
He added that despite the disagreement, "it's been an amazing partnership," noting that Netanyahu himself acknowledges the dynamic between the two countries: "
(Netanyahu) will say (the US is) the big partner, and (Israel's) the very small partner, and that's true."
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The remarks come as Israel has reportedly expressed strong displeasure with the MOU that Trump signed at the Palace of Versailles, ending the war between the US, Israel and Iran that began on February 28.
Israel has objected to the agreement on several grounds, including its explicit extension of the US-Iran ceasefire to Lebanon, which Jerusalem maintains it is not bound by. The final text of the MOU also affirms the need to safeguard "the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon."
Trump devoted a significant portion of his press conference to criticising Israel's prosecution of its ongoing campaign against Hezbollah, amid concern that Israeli strikes are complicating US-Iran negotiations.
The exchange underscores growing strain between the two allies even as the broader US-Iran ceasefire holds.
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