Donald Trump, former US president and Republican candidate in November’s US elections, has warned Israel that it is losing international support and must “finish” its war in Gaza.
The former US president said that while he would have reacted in the same way as Israel, after the 7 October Hamas attack, it was time to end the conflict.
Trump was also asked how he would have reacted had his family been victims of Hamas’ rampage. He said:
“I would say I would act very much the same way as you did. You’d have to be crazy not too. Only a fool would not do that. That was a horrible attack. It bothers me so much when I see people, they don’t talk about Oct. 7 anymore, they talk about how aggressive Israel is.”
The Hamas-led attack killed 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 being taken hostage. Since then, Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed more than 32,000 people, according to Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza. Trump told the Israel Hayom in an interview that the newspaper said had been recorded over the weekend:
“You have to finish up your war. You have to finish it up, you got to get it done.”
Trump’s comments came after the UN Security Council voted in favour of an immediate ceasefire. The measure passed after Washington abstained rather than exercising its veto.
Israel has said it will continue the offensive until Hamas is destroyed and the remaining captives freed, and wants to advance on the southern Gaza town of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said he will not send a delegation to discuss the planned Rafah operation to Washington after the US refrained from vetoing a UN Security Council proposal calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The plan has raised concerns in the US. Trump said during the interview:
“Israel has to be very careful, because you’re losing a lot of the world, you’re losing a lot of support.”
Israel’s intention to expand its operation into the town of Rafah, has caused a rift with Joe Biden administration, which has said it would be a mistake.
Trump often describes himself as pro-Israel, citing his decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and his administration’s role in the 2020 Abraham Accords, under which Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalised relations with Israel. Palestinians have long opposed this policy.
