Trump 'fully supports' Israeli actions in Gaza: White House
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Earlier this month, Trump divulged he would allow fresh Israeli strikes on Gaza if Israeli captives were not released.
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A woman mourns as she identifies a body in Al-Ahli Hospital following overnight Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, on March 18, 2025 (AP)
US President Donald Trump "fully supports" the renewal of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday, blaming the carnage on the Palestinian resistance, Hamas.
"He fully supports Israel and the IDF and the actions that they've taken in recent days," Leavitt told reporters when asked whether Trump was attempting to restart the Gaza ceasefire.
"The president made it very clear to Hamas that if they did not release all of the hostages there would be all hell to pay, and unfortunately, Hamas chose to play games in the media with lives."
Leavitt stated that the issue was "completely the fault of Hamas" for their operation against "Israel" on October 7, 2023, and that Trump wanted all Israeli captives freed.
Earlier this month, Trump divulged he would allow fresh Israeli strikes on Gaza if Israeli captives were not released.
Trump's ultimatum came during direct discussions in Doha between his envoy for captive matters, Adam Boehler, and Hamas leaders in an attempt to achieve a fresh Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.
Gaza's civil defense agency said 504 people had been killed in the Israeli assault, including more than 190 children. Its previous death toll was at least 470.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Wednesday evening that over 80% of hospitals and medical centers in the besieged enclave are now out of service due to relentless Israeli attacks.
Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported that more than 40 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday alone in ongoing Israeli airstrikes, with the death toll expected to rise. The attacks were not limited to specific areas but were rather indiscriminate.
As the war intensified, the Israeli military announced it had reoccupied the Netzarim Corridor after previously withdrawing from the area as part of the ceasefire agreement.
Israeli media reported that the political leadership had instructed the occupation forces to prepare for the forced displacement of Gaza’s population into a single zone in the southern district of the Strip.
In response, Hamas warned of the consequences of "Israel’s" ground invasion, stating that the repeated threats to expel Palestinians from their land expose the deep crisis faced by the government of “war criminal” Benjamin Netanyahu.
