Trump tries to outdo Harris by slamming Israel's 'unacceptable' war on Lebanon

Israel's bloody war on Lebanon is "unacceptable" and must end "one way or another", former President Donald Trump has said, amid comparative silence from the White House.

Trump, who is running for president as the Republic candidate this year, was asked by a BBC reporter what he thinks of events in the Middle East during a press conference on Thursday.

This includes the war on Lebanon, which escalated this week following waves of Israeli air raids from Monday killing over 700 people - including 50 children - and forcing thousands of civilians to flee northwards, in harrowing scenes reminiscent of Gaza.

"Well, we have to have that ended, one way or another. The world isn't going to take it," he told reporters.

"You have to have that ended and I would think that we're getting close to a point where maybe it can end pretty soon."

He then perhaps made one of the strongest criticisms of recent Israeli actions in the US political establishment, coming amid preparations for a major ground offensive into Lebanon.

"But you're going to have to end, that's unacceptable. The whole thing over there is unacceptable," he said.

Trump has repeatedly tried to portray himself as a strongman during his four-year term as president - from 2017 to 2021 - 'standing up' to leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu while preventing potential military escalations in the world through tough threats and shrewd diplomacy. His critics strongly reject these claims.

Since Joe Biden became the US's 46th president in 2021, Russia has invaded Ukraine while Israel has launched a devastating assault on Gaza following the 7 October attacks, killing well over 41,000 people and completely destroying the enclave.

These foreign policy failures have been easy pickings for Trump, who has tried to portray his presidential rival Kamala Harris, who served as Biden's deputy in office, as weak and naive.

"That's another one, October 7th would have never happened, would have never happened," he told media. "Ukraine and Russia would never have happened, think of it."

Trump and his Republican Party are widely considered to be some of the firmest supporters of Israel in the US political scene, but there has been criticism of recent Israeli actions from some in the American right-wing in recent years.

The former president also has a bittersweet relationship with Netanyahu but has been seen with the Israeli PM in recent months, hinting at a warming of relations.

He has also been accused of using anti-semitic rhetoric during recent speeches about Israel and American Jews.

Trump has also criticised Biden for temporarily halting some weapon transfers to Israel, accusing the president of siding with Hamas.

The White House has called for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon but this appears to have been rejected by Netanyahu with fears of an escalation in the conflict.