US President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, on Thursday expressed support for Israel’s renewed military campaign against the Hamas terrorist organization.
In a post on X, Waltz stressed that Hamas is to blame for the renewed fighting due to its refusal to release more hostages.
“Israel has every right to defend its people from Hamas terrorists. The ceasefire would have been extended if Hamas released all remaining hostages. Instead, they chose war,” the National Security Advisor added.
Israel launched surprise strikes against terrorist targets in Gaza early Tuesday morning. The strikes followed Hamas’ refusal to release more hostages and its rejection US envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier on Thursday that Trump "fully supports" Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip.
Leavitt was asked if Trump is seeking to restore the ceasefire in Gaza and replied, “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. Unfortunately, Hamas chose to play games in the media with lives."
“This situation is completely the fault of Hamas when they launched that brutal attack on Israel on October 7th. The president has made it very clear that he wants all of those hostages to come home," she said, adding that the President "fully supports Israel and the IDF and the actions that they have taken in recent days."