Biden, Israel aghast as Trump calls Lebanon's Hezbollah 'very smart'

US President Joe Biden has condemned Donald Trump for describing Hezbollah as "very smart" after the Lebanese group exchanged fire with Israel.

During a campaign speech in Florida on Thursday, Trump also accused the Biden administration of bankrolling Palestinian resistance group Hamas as a result of a prisoner exchange deal with Iran, which has historically supported Hamas and Hezbollah.

Biden said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that "our nation's support for Israel is resolute and unwavering. And the right time to praise the terrorists who seek to destroy them is never."

Trump had made his remarks to supporters in West Palm Beach as he was criticising the White House.

"You know, Hezbollah is very smart. They're all very smart,'" Trump said.

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said Trump's remarks were "dangerous and unhinged."

Israel also reacted angrily, with Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi in a TV interview saying Trump could "obviously" not be trusted.

"It is shameful that such a person, a former president of the United States, aids propaganda and spreads comments that harm the spirit of IDF [army] fighters and the spirit of Israeli residents," Karhi said.

"We don't need to deal with him or with the nonsense he says."

DeSantis takes aim at Trump

Israel's defence has been complicated by clashes in the north with Hezbollah in recent days, including cross-border rockets and shelling.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running in a distant second place behind Trump in the race for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination, also took aim at his rival.

"It is absurd that anyone, much less someone running for President, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel, much less praise Hezbollah terrorists as 'very smart,'" he posted on X.

In a statement on Thursday evening, Trump did not address his comment on Hezbollah but said Israel had "no better friend or ally... than President Donald J. Trump."

Biden's "weakness and incompetence has empowered and emboldened our enemies all over the World, and now, many lives have been so needlessly lost," the statement said.

The death toll from Israeli strikes on Gaza has risen to 1,537, with 6,612 people wounded.

Of those killed, 276 were women and 500 were under the age of 18, Palestinian officials said.

The jump in the death toll comes as Palestinians report heavy Israeli air strikes across the besieged Gaza, with bombardment on residential buildings in densely populated city districts and refugee camps killing many family members at a time in their homes.