George W. Bush backs Israel, says it has every right to go after 'cold-blooded killers' of Hamas

The Hamas-led terrorist invasion of Israel last weekend left the world shaken, prompting numerous high-profile current and former leaders to make statements.

According to the Washington Examiner, former President George W. Bush issued a statement on the horrifying situation just days after it took place, though a recording of his statements wasn't released until Friday and was obtained by Axios.

The former president made his remarks on the situation to presidential historian Mark Updegrove, president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation at a private event held in California.

"My thoughts were that we need to support Israel. No ands, ifs, or buts," Bush said, who united the country after leading during the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil in September 2001.

Bush held nothing back as he insisted that Israel will have to do whatever it takes to deal with the "cold-blooded killers" that make up the ranks of the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist organization.

He also described the dire situation, noting that the hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists called to duty likely have little to no rifle experience, let alone combat experience.

George Bush: "Netanyahu's Job is to protect his Country"
"He’s gotta do what he’s gotta do!! U’re dealing with cold-blooded killers, We’ll find out what he’s made out of.” 💪pic.twitter.com/9MrJsTZjL5

— Mihir Jha (@MihirkJha) October 13, 2023

"It's gonna be awfully difficult on the prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu], but he's got to do it," Bush said. "He's got to do this. You're dealing with cold-blooded killers."

Bush added, "We'll find out what he's made out of," referring to Netanyahu.

The former president was adamant that Israel has to do whatever it takes to defend against Hamas terrorists. He noted that the situation will be "tough" for Israel, likely referring to the expected high toll of collateral damage, given that Gaza City is densely packed with civilians.

"This was an unprovoked attack by terrorists," Bush said of the Hamas attack. "People willing to kill innocent people to achieve an objective."

"Don't be surprised if Israel takes whatever action is necessary to defend herself," the 43rd president said. "And it's gonna be ugly for a while. But it's tough. It's tough. And I hope and [I'm] pretty confident the United States will stand squarely with Israel."

Israeli leaders have vowed to decimate the ranks of Hamas, and have given evacuation orders to at least half of the Gaza Strip as it prepares for a massive ground incursion.

Anti-Israel protests have erupted worldwide, though the country is also receiving worldwide support, including from the U.S. government.