US President Donald Trump has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "there would be no Israel" without the US, marking some of his harshest criticism of the country amid continued attacks on Lebanon.
"Without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did. I had a great relationship with Bibi. Now Bibi needs to be more responsible with regard to Lebanon," Trump said, speaking at the G7 in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Trump's frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have grown over Israel's insistence on attacking Lebanon in an attempt to target the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, despite ongoing peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Netanyahu said Israel will keep its troops in Lebanon despite the prior agreement, noting that "the war is not over."
"I want to make it clear: We will remain in the security zones for as long as necessary to protect our country," he declared.
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