American President Donald Trump has made it clear that he is not upset with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite the ongoing escalation of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Appearing in an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier that took place in Abu Dhabi, Trump recognized Netanyahu's tough spot. "No, look, he's got a tough situation. You have to remember, there was October 7 that everyone forgets. It was one of the most violent days in the history of the world, not the Middle East, the world, when you look at the tapes," Trump indicated, citing the Hamas-organized attacks.
Trump further stated, "That problem should have never happened," but did not stop in Israel while he was recently in the Middle East for a visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Asked if he thinks Netanyahu is against a possible U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement, Trump said, "Bibi, he's an angry man, and he should be because of October 7, and he's been hurt badly by that, but in another way, he's been sort of helped because I think he's fought hard and bravely."
Reiterating his long-standing dream of Gaza, Trump stressed the transformation of the territory. "Gaza is a horrible place. It's been horrible for years. I think it should be a free zone, you know, freedom, I call it a freedom zone," he said, disparaging the raging violence under Hamas and voicing his approval of a U.S.-led redevelopment of the area.
After a night of escalated Israeli air raids that killed over 100 individuals in Gaza, according to reports, Trump announced to the press on Air Force One that he looked forward "to a lot of good things" in the next month and called for US involvement helping ease the humanitarian crisis. "A lot of people are starving," he added, "We have to help also out the Palestinians.
When questioned about whether he endorses Israel's intentions to extend the war in Gaza, Trump adopted a more measured tone: "You know, a lot of people are starving on Gaza, so we have to look at both sides… But we're going to do a good job."
At a business roundtable in Qatar, Trump once more called for American intervention in Gaza, saying: "We're looking at Gaza, and we got to get that taken care of… There's a lot of bad things going on."
He also indicated that the Gulf countries he met with—Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE—would have a significant role in rebuilding Gaza. "I spoke to all three of them, they would absolutely be [part of the solution]. I mean, they're really rich and really, really, really, even more than rich, they're good people… Money is not even the problem. You got to get countries to say, yes, take them."
Trump's remarks are made as there is increasing international alarm at the humanitarian cost in Gaza. On Thursday, Israeli military action increased, with most of the reported casualties coming from northern Jabalya and southern Khan Younis, said Gaza Civil Defence officials.
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