JAKARTA - Former US President Donald Trump criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel, who were deemed unprepared for Hamas attacks, warning they had the potential to fight with Iran.
The militant group Hamas stormed Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 1,200 people, the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israeli history.
Israel retaliated with massive bombings in Gaza that had killed 1,055 people, followed by the deployment of thousands of troops around the region, increasing the assessment of a land invasion of Gaza.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump, who is one of the Republican presidential candidates for the 2024 election, said PM Netanyahu was devastated by the attack.
"He's not ready. He's not ready and Israel isn't ready. And under Trump, they don't have to be ready," he said.
Trump is known to have had close ties to PM Netanyahu during his tenure as US President, despite a rift in his relationship.
Speaking to his Florida supporters on Wednesday night, Trump again commented on Israel's security readiness, citing "some things that have gone wrong over the past week".
"They have to fix this, because they have the potential to fight with enormous power, they have the potential to fight with Iran," Trump explained.
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Separately, one of Trump's competitors in the Republican presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis, criticized the former president's comments.
"(This) doesn't make sense, anyone, let alone someone running for President, now chooses to attack our friends and ally, Israel," DeSantis wrote on social media.
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