Trump suggests Syria could handle Hezbollah better than Israel

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with Israel’s approach to military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, suggesting that Syria could be better positioned to address the group.

Speaking on June 15 on the sidelines of the G7 summit, Trump appeared to criticise the scale and methods of Israeli military action in Lebanon, saying it has been ongoing for too long and has resulted in significant civilian casualties, Al Jazeera reports. 

“You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody because there’s a lot of people in those apartment houses – and they’re not all Hezbollah,” the US president said.

He further suggested an alternative approach involving Syria.

“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,” Trump added.

Trump also said he had raised the idea that Israel should allow Syria to take responsibility for dealing with the group, arguing that the current Syrian authorities would be more effective in addressing the issue.

By Sabina Mammadli