Trump orders Netanyahu to take only ‘surgical’ military action in Lebanon

Published April 29, 2026 9:17pm ET



President Donald Trump is pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back military action in Lebanon, warning that broader strikes risk undermining a fragile ceasefire.

“I told Netanyahu he has got to do it more surgically. Not knock down buildings,” Trump said in a phone interview with Axios. “He can’t do it. It is too terrible and makes Israel look bad.”

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