Nikki Haley is standing by comments she made regarding Hamas when she was the country's top diplomat to the United Nations.

Her statements were revisited this week as Israel declared war in response to the terrorist organization's attacks.

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Haley testified before Congress in 2017 that Qatar was “funding Hamas” before correcting the record in a memo months later as then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was trying to deescalate tensions in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates leading a trade and transport boycott against Qatar. The former ambassador then wrote a separate letter, clarifying that former President Donald Trump's administration did not "recognize a difference between the political and military arms of Hamas."

“Nikki was right when she testified to Congress and in her Dec. 7 letter in which she said that Qatar supports Hamas," Haley campaign spokeswoman Nachama Soloveichik told the Washington Examiner this week. "Her view is that the relationship between Hamas and Qatar is dangerous and harmful and should end.”

Haley has more recently underscored the "need to eliminate Hamas ... for good," contending President Joe Biden should defend Israel "when they get hit" and "when they hit back as well."

“There’s gonna be a time where not only I expect the Biden administration, everybody else, is gonna tell Israel, 'hold back, use restraint,'" she told Fox News this week. "No, you eliminate terrorists wherever they are.”

The Israel-Hamas war has drawn dividing lines in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Candidates have criticized Trump for his remarks scrutinizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after last week's Hamas attack, in which he described Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as "very smart" under threat of a second front opening in the war.

Trump called Hezbollah "very smart" during a rally last Wednesday when he spoke of Biden administration and Israeli concerns regarding the group potentially attacking Israel "from the north because that’s the most vulnerable spot." Trump then recalled "a bad experience with Israel as president," alleging Netanyahu "let us down" when he decided against taking part in the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) condemned Trump's statements, promising to "stand with Israel and treat terrorists like the scum that they are" if he were to become commander in chief.

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"Terrorists have murdered at least 1,200 Israelis and 22 Americans and are holding more hostage, so it is absurd that anyone, much less someone running for president, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel, much less praise Hezbollah terrorists as ‘very smart,’" DeSantis wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Trump averages a 45 percentage point advantage over second-placed DeSantis, 58% to 13%, according to RealClearPolitics. Trump has less than a point edge over Biden, 45.3% to 44.5%, per hypothetical polling averages.