'Let Syria take care of Hezbollah': Trump criticizes Israel, leans on Sharaa to help in Lebanon
President Donald Trump insisted he has a great relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but criticized the scale of Israel’s strikes in Lebanon.
US President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that Syria could help counter Hezbollah in Lebanon while criticizing Israel’s actions against the group.
What happened: Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France, Trump said he was “not happy” with Israel's conduct in Lebanon, declaring that the war should have been concluded “faster” and that Israel should be “more responsible” there.
“Israel is fighting Hezbollah for too long, and too many people are being killed,” he said.
“I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah. Because, to be honest with you, I think they’d do a better job of doing it.”
“If Israel can’t do the job without killing everyone else, Syria will do the job,” he added.
‼️‼️President Trump: if Israel can't do the job without killing everyone else, he'll do the job. Syria will do the job.
— ToniMrad (@murat_toni) June 16, 2026
‼️NowBibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon. Lebanon used to be a great country. It was a country where you had professors, doctors, lawyers.… pic.twitter.com/Nd0cpc31YL
Trump praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as someone "very capable" of carrying out such a mission.
"He’s very capable. And he’s been very good for me. He’s protected everything that I’ve asked for," he said. "And if Israel can’t do the job without killing everyone else, he’ll do the job. Syria will do the job."
Trump said the conflict in Lebanon "throws a negative light" on the deal with Iran, referring to an Israeli strike on Beirut on Sunday, just hours before the agreement was announced.
The US and Iran reached an agreement on Sunday to end the fighting between them, with both sides declaring that Lebanon is part of the deal. The deal is set to be signed on Friday, after which a 60-day period of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program will commence.
Hezbollah resumed rocket fire on Israel on March 2 following the start of the Iran war, prompting Israel to escalate its airstrikes in Lebanon and advance further into the country’s south. The Lebanese Health Ministry said on Monday that 3,798 people have been killed in the country since March. The Israeli military has said around 30 of its soldiers have been killed in Lebanon since then, while local media reported that at least one Israeli civilian was killed by rocket fire.
A Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not immediately respond to Al-Monitor’s request for comment.
Why it matters: Sharaa rejected last week Trump’s calls for him to move against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
"What is being circulated about Syria entering Lebanon is nothing more than rumors," Sharaa said, according to Agence France-Presse.
Syria occupied large swaths of Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. The intervention began during the Lebanese civil war and concluded amid international pressure after the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.
Syria has been a key land passage for Iran to ship weapons to Hezbollah, and the collapse of his government was a blow to Iranian influence in the region.
Know more: Trump’s comments on Israeli actions in Lebanon mark the latest signs of tensions between him and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ben Caspit wrote for Al-Monitor on Monday that Netanyahu had no choice but to accept Trump’s deal to end the war with Iran, despite his reservations that it does not go far enough in restraining Iran.
Trump insisted on Tuesday that he has a "great relationship" with Netanyahu, despite the disagreement over Lebanon.
Netanyahu said on Monday, "We will remain in the security zones for as long as it is required to defend our country," referring specifically to Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.
