US President Donald Trump fully supports Israel's deadly resumption of air and ground operations in the Gaza Strip, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Thursday, blaming the Palestinian group Hamas for the violence, AFP reported.

“He fully supports Israel and the IDF and the actions they have taken in recent days,” Leavitt told reporters when asked if Trump was trying to revive a truce in Gaza.

“The president has made it very clear to Hamas that if they don't release all the hostages, they will have to pay for it, and unfortunately Hamas has decided to play the media game with human lives,” she added.

Leavitt said the situation is “entirely Hamas' fault,” adding that Trump wants all those hostages taken by Palestinian militants to be released.

The Gaza Civil Defense Agency said 504 people have been killed so far in the Israeli attack, including 200 children.

Israel resumed its air campaign early Tuesday morning with a series of deadly strikes, shattering the relative calm that has prevailed in the war-torn Palestinian territory since a cease-fire was declared on Jan. 19.