U.S. President Donald Trump briefed journalists during an Air Force One flight to Qatar, saying 'my relationship with Gulf states benefits Israel.' He stated, 'The Israelis have been fighting for a long time, they deserve much credit. My people deserve a lot of credit too, perhaps the most. Without us, probably all the hostages would be dead. There are probably 20 hostages alive now, we got many out.' He added that 'the U.S. has informed Israel about lifting sanctions on Syria.'