Trump urges Netanyahu to use a ‘softer touch’ on Lebanon
US President Donald Trump has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ease the intensity of Israeli military operations in Lebanon, calling for a gentler approach as Washington grows increasingly anxious about civilian casualties and the risk of broader regional escalation.
The message from Trump
Trump made his position clear in a direct communication with Netanyahu, according to officials familiar with the exchange. The phrase ‘softer touch’ signals a meaningful, if quiet, shift in tone from an administration that has largely backed Israel’s right to defend itself since the conflict intensified. But private pressure is a different thing from a public rebuke, and Trump has so far stopped well short of that.
Washington’s concern centers on southern Lebanon, where Israeli strikes have killed hundreds of civilians in recent months and displaced an estimated 1.2 million people. The humanitarian toll has drawn criticism from European allies and United Nations officials, putting the US in an uncomfortable diplomatic position.
What’s behind the shift
The timing isn’t accidental. Trump’s team has been quietly working on a broader Middle East framework, one that requires at least minimal buy-in from Arab governments that won’t engage while images of Lebanese neighborhoods in rubble dominate the news cycle. So the message to Netanyahu carries both a moral dimension and a hard-nosed strategic one.
Still, the administration is treading carefully. Trump won’t publicly criticize Netanyahu — not yet, anyway. A senior US official familiar with the talks described the approach as ‘frank but constructive,’ adding that ‘the president wants to see a path toward stability that protects both Israeli security and civilian life in Lebanon.’
That’s a difficult balance to strike.
Israel’s response
Netanyahu’s office didn’t issue a formal response to Trump’s message, but Israeli officials have consistently maintained that their operations target Hezbollah infrastructure, not civilians. The Israel Defense Forces say they’ve carried out over 3,400 strikes in Lebanon since operations escalated in late 2024, a figure that opposition figures and international observers say makes the claim of precision targeting increasingly hard to defend.
Hezbollah, for its part, has continued launching rockets into northern Israel, killing at least 67 Israeli civilians over the same period and forcing tens of thousands from their homes near the border. Israel frames its campaign as an existential necessity. That argument still resonates in Washington — but apparently not unconditionally.
What comes next
US envoys are expected to return to the region within the next two weeks, with Lebanon ceasefire talks back on the agenda alongside ongoing negotiations over Gaza. Whether Trump’s private nudge translates into any real change on the ground remains deeply uncertain. Netanyahu has shown before that he’s willing to absorb American pressure without fundamentally altering his military calculus.
And with Israeli elections potentially on the horizon, the political incentives pushing Netanyahu toward toughness haven’t disappeared. Trump can ask for a softer touch. Getting one is another matter entirely.
