US President Donald Trump has told American media outlet Axios that he instructed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to limit military operations in Lebanon to surgical strikes against Hezbollah. 

The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, brokered by the United States, has remained fragile ahead of its mid-May expiration as IDF and Hezbollah clashes have continued regularly. Hezbollah is entirely separate from the Lebanese government and often disregards orders from Beirut.

Recognising this fact, Washington has committed to helping the Lebanese Armed Forces (controlled by Beirut) to execute its planned demilitarisation of Hezbollah, something which has evaded successive administrations due to Iranian influence over the powers in Lebanan. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the US will provide the Lebanese Army with training and equipment in what may become the biggest investment and training in the country's history. 

"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.

Trump added that Iran's influence had effectively destroyed Lebanon, claiming that Hezbollah's weakening would follow automatically from any degradation of Iranian power.

A US official separately told Axios that Hezbollah is not a party to the ceasefire and is actively attempting to derail it.

"Hezbollah's strategy is clear: provoke, attack, and then blame Israel in order to kill the negotiations and make the Lebanese government look bad. We cannot feasibly expect Israel to just take the hits. This is not the Biden administration," the official said, while noting Washington had separately asked Israel to show restraint and allow space for the emerging diplomatic process.

Hezbollah, for its part, has rejected any suggestion it will stand down. The group stated it would respond to continued Israeli ceasefire violations, occupation of Lebanese territory, and targeting of civilians with a "Resistance that is present and ready."

Trump has expressed interest in convening a trilateral summit with Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, though Aoun's participation is considered unlikely absent meaningful prior progress on the ground.