Trump: 'US must keep Netanyahu somewhat sane in Lebanon'

Istanbul (ANTARA) - United States President Donald Trump has stated that Washington needs to keep Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “somewhat sane” in response to the situation in Lebanon.

Despite describing his relationship with Netanyahu as a “good” one, Trump, in an interview clip with Axios published on Friday, claimed he can control Israel’s military actions in Lebanon because officials in the country “do what Trump says.”

Trump emphasised the military superiority of the United as he noted that Washington provides “weapons” and B-2 stealth bombers to Israel.

He also claimed that without his intervention, Israel would be “destroyed,” echoing his statement from earlier this week that “without the United States, there would be no Israel.”

Earlier this week, Trump revealed that he had advised Netanyahu to take a “softer” approach in Lebanon.

According to him, Israel does not need to “level a building every time someone from Hezbollah enters it,” referring to Israeli airstrikes that frequently target Lebanese territories, including residential areas.

This suggestion came following an escalation in conflict that killed 47 people in southern Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers since Friday morning.

Based on official data, Israeli military operations in Lebanon since 2 March have killed 3,912 people, injured 11,873 others, and forced more than one million residents to flee.

Israel continues to occupy several areas in southern Lebanon, some of which have been occupied for decades and others since the outbreak of the recent conflict.

In recent military operations, Israeli forces have reportedly advanced more than 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory.