ByIDAN KWELLER, DANYA SAPERSTEINJUNE 2, 2026 18:38Updated: JUNE 2, 2026 18:40An Israeli source familiar with the details disputed a report that US President Donald Trump personally insulted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a tense phone call on Monday over Israel’s planned strike on Hezbollah targets in Beirut on Tuesday.The source said the disagreement focused on public messaging after the call, as Washington sought to prevent escalation in Lebanon amid US-Iran negotiations.“Trump did not get into personal insults with Netanyahu,” the Israeli source said, adding that the tense exchange centered on “the statements by each side” after the conversation.This comes after Axios reported that Trump told Netanyahu, "everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”According to the report, on the call, which took place after Iran had threatened to stop negotiating with the US due to Israel’s action in Lebanon earlier on Monday, Trump at one point yelled at Netanyahu, “What the f*** are you doing?”US President Donald Trump speaks next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House, in Washington. (credit: Evan Vucci/REUTERS)A US official said that this was one of Trump’s worst calls with Netanyahu since the start of his second term.Another US official said that Trump felt that Netanyahu was reacting disproportionally to Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel. Axios reported that the president objected to Israel destroying buildings to take out a single Hezbollah commander and Israel’s threats against Beirut. Beirut strike plans haltedThe dispute followed a day of escalating tensions in northern Israel, where Hezbollah rocket and drone fire prompted Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to order renewed attacks on Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s Dahiyeh stronghold, The Jerusalem Post reported.Those plans were delayed after US and Iranian intervention, and no strike on Beirut had taken place by the time of Trump’s announcement.The Post reported that Trump announced after the call that Israel would not send troops into Beirut and that Hezbollah had agreed to stop shooting.After the call, Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, adding that: "there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way have already been turned back."In exchange, he said, Hezbollah had agreed that all shooting would stop - "That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel."Later, Netanyahu announced that he had told Trump that "if Hezbollah doesn't stop attacking our towns and citizens, Israel will attack terror targets in Beirut."Political fallout in IsraelThe decision to cancel the strike drew criticism from Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who said it was time for Netanyahu to tell Trump “no.”Opposition figures also criticized Netanyahu’s handling of the call and the broader security situation in northern Israel, with opposition leader Yair Lapid accusing Netanyahu of behaving as though Israel were a protectorate state of the US.Follow us on Google