‘They’re not winning the world of public relations’: Trump says Gaza war is ‘hurting Israel’

US President Donald Trump has said that Israel’s war in Gaza is “hurting” the Jewish state, urging a swift resolution to the conflict. “They [Israel] may be winning the war, but they’re not winning the world,” he remarked.

“They’re gonna have to get that war over with. But it is hurting Israel. There’s no question about it. They may be winning the war, but they’re not winning the world of public relations, you know, and it is hurting them,” Trump told the Daily Caller in an interview released Monday.

The comments echo warnings he made during last year’s campaign, though he has not repeated them since taking office in January. In recent weeks, however, Trump has renewed his call for Israel to end the war quickly, again stressing: “They’re gonna have to get that war over with… It is hurting Israel.”

Despite this, Trump has also voiced support for Israel’s plan to seize Gaza City, arguing that Hamas must be destroyed before hostages are freed. Israeli military assessments suggest the operation could take four to five months, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considering a subsequent offensive into refugee camps in central Gaza.

Asked about waning support for Israel in the US, including within the Republican Party, Trump acknowledged, “I’m aware of it,” while stressing his “good support from Israel” and highlighting steps he has taken as president in defense of the Jewish state.

He further claimed Israel’s influence in Washington has diminished, “There was a time where… if you wanted to be a politician, you couldn’t speak badly [about Israel]. Israel was the strongest lobby I’ve ever seen… They had total control over Congress,” Trump said, adding that the country has “been hurt, especially in Congress.”