Trump urges Israel 'to use good judgment'

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he wants Israel "to use good judgment," and that he has a "little dispute" over Lebanon with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"No. I want Israel to be able to protect themselves, but I do want them to use good judgment," Trump told reporters when asked whether he wants Israel to halt its military campaign in Lebanon.

His remarks came during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France.

Tensions continue to flare along the Lebanese-Israeli border despite a recent understanding between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending their military conflict that erupted after Israel and the US launched attacks against Iran on Feb. 28.

On Monday, the Lebanese group Hezbollah welcomed the agreement to end the war, while reaffirming its commitment to Lebanon's right to self-defense until Israel fully withdraws from Lebanese territory and all prisoners are returned.

Hezbollah’s drones have recently become a growing concern for Israel, with Netanyahu describing them as a “major threat” and demanding that the military find a solution.

Israel has been waging an offensive on Lebanon since March 2 that has left thousands killed and wounded, and left more than 1 million displaced, according to the latest official figures.

‘We have a little dispute over Lebanon’

Later, addressing a news conference in France, Trump claimed if Iran got nuclear weapon, Israel would have been "blown away."

Trump said Prime Netanyahu "gets a little excited sometimes."

"In all fairness to Bibi Netanyahu, happens to be a good man, gets a little excited sometimes, but he happens to be a very good man. We've had an amazing partnership. He's been an amazing prime minister.

"We have a little dispute over Lebanon. I say you can do a little softer touch, Bibi. You don't have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that's from Hezbollah, but it's been an amazing partnership. But he will say 'we're the big partner' and he's the very small partner, and that's true," Trump added.

The president said the US sent a copy of the deal to Israel, criticizing it for attacks in Lebanon.

"I think they (Israel) could do better with respect to Hezbollah. I'm not saying they shouldn't protect themselves. I'm saying, when two drones are shot into the desert and drop harmlessly, you don't have to knock down buildings in Beirut. They could behave better, and frankly, they could do a better job," he added.

Trump also said he feels "very bad" for Lebanon.

He hoped that the peace agreement will be "the beginning of a much larger deal" across the Middle East.

"The Lebanon piece is something we'll have to work on a little bit. It's a very small piece of the puzzle, actually, but it still makes a lot of noise," Trump said.

He also announced that the Lebanese president will visit the US "very shortly, over the next week or two."