The former US president Donald Trump criticized the Prime Minister of Israel yesterday Wednesday Benjamin Netanyahu for what he sees as a lack of preparation for the Hamas attack that killed at least 1,200 people in Israeli territory.

Speaking on television Fox Newsthe front-runner for the Republican nomination ahead of the 2024 election, said Mr Netanyahu had “suffered a very bad blow”.

“He has not prepared. He was unprepared and Israel was unprepared. Under Trump, they wouldn’t even need to be prepared,” he added.

The former president’s comments come as Israeli authorities are still collecting bodies from the victims of one of the worst state-sponsored attacks. The Israeli military has responded by launching airstrikes that have killed at least 1,200 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and is reportedly planning a ground operation in Israel.

Mr. Trump’s opponent in the Republican race, Florida Governor Ron DeSandis, in turn criticized the former president for the comments.

It is “absurd that anyone,” even more so “someone who has run for president,” would choose this particular moment “to attack our friend and ally, Israel,” the governor commented on social networking sites.

Messrs. Trump and Netanyahu had a close relationship during the Republican’s term (2017-2021), but cracks have since appeared between them.

Mr Trump hit back at those comments yesterday evening, lashing out at Israel’s security measures and insisting that “some things have gone wrong in the last week”.

The tycoon argued that “they have to get on the right track because they are probably fighting a great force, they are probably fighting Iran.”