President Trump told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should only take "surgical" military action in Lebanon and avoid a full resumption of the war, Trump told Axios in a phone interview.
The ceasefire Trump helped broker in Lebanon is being only partially observed, and officials in both Israel and Lebanon are concerned it will collapse entirely before it's due to expire in mid-May.
There has also been no progress in launching Israel-Lebanon peace talks, despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosting two meetings with the respective ambassadors.
And while the Trump administration claims the ceasefire in Lebanon is unconnected to the ceasefire with Iran, a resumption of war there would further complicate diplomacy with Tehran.
"I told Netanyahu he has got to do it more surgically. Not knock down buildings. He can't do it. It is too terrible and makes Israel look bad," Trump told Axios.
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