Earlier, Israel started an intensive offensive operation in the Gaza City, the administrative center of the eponymous Palestinian enclave to defeat Hamas

WASHINGTON, September 16. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump did not respond unequivocally to a question about whether he supports Israel conducting a ground offensive in Gaza City.

"I have to see. I mean, I don't know too much about it. I can tell you that if they put the hostages in front of them as protection, as they call them bodyguards, Hamas is going to have big problems," Trump added, talking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House.

"We're going to see what happens, because I hear Hamas is trying to use the old human shield trick, and if they do that, they're going to be in big trouble. They put it out two days ago that they're going to use the hostages as human shields. That's something that hasn't done for a long time."

Earlier, Israel started an intensive offensive operation in the Gaza City, the administrative center of the eponymous Palestinian enclave to defeat Hamas. Before that, the Israeli army had repeatedly warned the locals about the need to leave the war zone, including by dropping leaflets on the city. According to the Qatari Al Jazeera TV channel, over the past night alone, more than 40 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured by Israeli bombing of Gaza City and its surrounding areas.

The situation in the Middle East sharply worsened after the penetration of armed Hamas supporters from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, accompanied by the killing of residents of border settlements and the seizure of more than 250 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in the enclave with the aim of destroying the military and political structures of Hamas and freeing all the abductees. According to the latest data from the Gaza Health Ministry, the total number of Palestinians killed in the sector as a result of fighting has exceeded 64,000, more than 165,000 people were wounded. Another 428 local residents, including 146 children, were injured and died of starvation.

Trump did not respond to whether he supports Israel's operation in Gaza