White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Israel informed the US about its most recent assault on Gaza before it occurred.
Late on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reported that the Israeli government had informed the US administration about the impending assault.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the bombing campaign resulted in at least 404 casualties and has violated the truce between Israel and Hamas, which was facilitated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt and took effect in January.
“The attack on Gaza tonight was pre-discussed by the Israelis with the Trump administration and the White House,” according to Leavitt’s statement to Fox News.
“As President Trump has made it clear, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran – all those who seek to terrorise not just Israel, but also the United States of America – will see a price to pay: all hell will break loose,” she further added.
Hamas has interpreted the Israeli attacks as a unilateral nullification of the truce.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the strikes citing the absence of progress in negotiations to extend the ceasefire.
‘No second stage’
Last month, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported that Israel had communicated to the US its lack of commitment to the ceasefire.
According to Haaretz, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer told Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff: “Israel is not committed to the three-stage plan … even if it signed it.”
Haaretz reported that Dermer informed Witkoff of Netanyahu’s plan: “release all the remaining hostages in one big, single stage. Hamas will receive prisoners in return.”
Should Hamas not meet this demand, Netanyahu would employ Plan B: a “return to intense warfare”, according to Haaretz. The newspaper added that “to Netanyahu, there is no second stage” to the ceasefire deal.
Recently, Witkoff cautioned Hamas that it must immediately release captured individuals “or face severe consequences”.
Following reports from the US that they were consulted previous to the attacks, Hamas condemned Washington, accusing it of “direct partnership in the war of extermination against our people”.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Hamas stated that the US’s admission “reveals the falsehood of their claims about their desire to defuse tensions,” and called on the “international community … to take urgent action to hold the occupation and those who support it accountable for these crimes against humanity”.
