Trump slams Netanyahu as ‘not prepared’ for Hamas attack and says Israeli leader has been ‘hurt very badly’ by intelligence failure in latest escalation of their feud

Former President Donald Trump said he would protect Israel from attack by Hamas as he blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the massive failure of his country’s intelligence services.

Hundreds of terrorists poured out of the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning to unleash a killing spree that left at least 1,200 dead.

Israel’s armed forces did not see the attack coming and were slow to respond.

On Wednesday night Trump said on The Brian Kilmeade Show: “We have to protect Israel. There is no choice. And we must do it.

“He’s been hurt really bad because of what happened here. He wasn’t prepared. He was not prepared and Israel was not prepared. And under Trump, they shouldn’t be prepared.’

Former President Donald Trump claimed he would have protected Israel from a Hamas attack as he criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing his country’s intelligence services.

Other political leaders have refrained from criticizing Israel or its leaders, while it continues to bury its dead. Soldiers are seen here carrying the coffin of Valentin Ghnassia, 23, who was killed in a battle with Hamas militants at Kibbutz Be’eeri near Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip during his funeral on October 12, 2023 at the Mount Military Cemetery Herzl in Jerusalem

Hamas prepared for the attacks with a wave of deception. Key figures reportedly used communication channels they knew were being monitored by Israelis to indicate they were cooling the idea of ​​attacking Israel, and also called off border protests.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces were distracted by a flare-up of violence in the West Bank to the north.

The militants then used drones to knock out remote-controlled surveillance systems and weapons in the first phase of their attack, allowing bulldozers to crash through security fences undetected.

“Who would think their intelligence couldn’t figure this out?” Trump asked, before blaming Netanyahu.

“Thousands of people participated. Thousands of people knew about it and let it slip away. That wasn’t good for him or anyone.”

His criticism comes at a time when world leaders and American politicians have gone out of their way to rally behind Israel as it buries its dead.

Trump went even further with comments in a speech on Wednesday night, when he accused the country’s prime minister of betraying him at a critical moment in the fight with Iran.

The former president, who is the clear front-runner to win the Republican Party nomination in 2024, told supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida that his prayers were with Israel.

But he couldn’t resist describing how he felt disenchanted with Netanyahu during his tenure as he prepared to oust a top Iranian general in 2020.

Hamas left a trail of destruction at a number of kibbutzim near the Gaza border, including children’s beds soaked in blood

Soldiers remove the bodies of victims killed during an attack by Hamas terrorists in Kfar Azza on Tuesday

“Israel was going to do this with us, and it had been planned and worked on for months,” he said of the plot to assassinate General Qasem Soleimani, head of Iran’s Quds Force.

“We had everything ready to go, and the night before it happened, I got a call that Israel would not participate in this attack.”

He said he was telling the story for the first time.

“I will never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down,” he said, describing his disappointment.

The Israeli government was quick to express its outrage.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis criticized Donald Trump for praising Hezbollah terrorists and criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi told Israel’s Channel 13 that it was “shameful that a man like him, a former US president, incites propaganda and spreads things that hurt the spirit of Israel’s fighters and its citizens,” according to the Associated Press.

Trump also praised the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group as “very smart” for the way it launched attacks on Israel.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis, Trump’s main challenger for the nomination, attacked Trump for his comments.

“Terrorists have murdered at least 1,200 Israelis and 22 Americans and are holding more hostages, so it is absurd that anyone, let alone someone running for president, would now choose to attack our friend and ally, Israel, much less praise terrorists. of Hezbollah as “very smart,” he tweeted.