The White House announced Thursday that US President Donald Trump "fully supports" Israel's resumption of its war, airstrikes, and ground operations in the Gaza Strip, holding Hamas responsible.

White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt told reporters, in response to a question about whether Trump was seeking to restore the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, that the US president "fully supports Israel and the Israeli military, and all the steps they have taken in recent days."

The White House added, "Trump made it clear to Hamas that it would pay a heavy price if it did not release the hostages."

He stated that Hamas "is the one who chose to manipulate people's lives, exploiting them for media purposes."

The White House announced that Israel consulted with the Trump administration before launching a series of large-scale airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

The White House spokeswoman said, "The Israelis consulted with the Trump administration and the White House regarding their attacks on Gaza tonight," stressing that, "as President Trump has made clear, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran, and anyone who seeks to terrorize not only Israel, but the United States as well, will pay a heavy price—the gates of hell will open wide."