Trump warns Israel that it's 'losing a lot of support'

Former President Donald Trump said Israel has to “finish up” the war in Gaza in a Monday interview with an Israeli news outlet, adding that the country “has to be very careful” because it is “losing a lot of support.”

The presumptive Republican nominee’s comments come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pulled an Israel delegation that was set to visit Washington after the U.S. allowed a resolution calling for a cease-fire to pass the U.N. Security Council. Trump’s remarks also come as President Joe Biden’s administration has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s planned military offensive in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than 1 million Palestinians have sought refuge from the conflict.

In an interview with Israel Hayom, a publication owned by the family of the late conservative real estate magnate Sheldon Adelson, Trump suggested he would have acted very similarly to Israel’s government in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants. But he also said Israel made “a very big mistake” with photos and imagery of bombs dropped on Gaza helping push public opinion against the war.

“I wanted to call [Israel] and say don't do it,” Trump told the outlet. “These photos and shots. I mean, moving shots of bombs being dropped into buildings in Gaza. And I said, Oh, that's a terrible portrait. It's a very bad picture for the world.”

Trump — who has described himself as the “most pro-Israel president ever” — has previously suggested the need for a quick end to the war in Gaza. But, while not getting into details, he also seemed to support Israel’s strong military response, saying in early March that Israel had to “finish the problem.”

Monday’s interview did not touch on Israel’s potential offensive in Rafah, conditions around Hamas’ release of hostages or a postwar plan for Gaza.

Trump’s comments come as the Israel-Hamas war has also been a flashpoint in the presidential race, with Biden facing pushback from Arab American and progressive voters who have called on the Democratic president to do more to push for a cease-fire, and limit or condition U.S. aid to Israel.