Trump threatens to ‘abandon’ Israel, US official denies
A Washington Post report said that the United States, including its close allies, could withdraw support for Israel after Israel steps up its offensive to take ‘total control’ of Gaza. However, a US official denied the claim. The report also said that the Trump administration has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government that Washington will no longer support Tel Aviv if it fails to end the war in Gaza.
The newspaper, citing unnamed sources familiar with the discussions, said that Trump’s representatives told Israel, ‘The United States will abandon Israel if it does not end the war.’ White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt also said, ‘President Trump wants the war in Gaza to end.’ The report came after the Trump administration pressured US President Donald Trump not to meet with Netanyahu during his Middle East visit last week.
During his visit with leaders of Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Trump said that “many people are starving” in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Britain, France and Canada also condemned Israel’s “heinous actions” in Gaza on Monday and threatened joint action if it did not stop its military offensive in the Palestinian territories.
Israeli media, on the other hand, responded to the Washington Post report, which quoted a US official as saying that there may be differences between the two sides, but “the idea that we would abandon Israel is ridiculous.”
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee dismissed the claim, telling Ynet News, “Their report is nonsense. They need to listen to what the president is saying. Not some unknown source who pretends to know everything.”
Netanyahu earlier announced in a video message that Israel would take full control of Gaza.
