US President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Hamas, saying Israeli forces could be sent back into Gaza “as soon as he says the word” if the militant group fails to comply with the ceasefire agreement. The statement came just hours after Trump announced the second phase of his Gaza peace plan, intensifying pressure on Hamas to fully implement the deal reached earlier this month.
In a brief telephone conversation reported by CNN, Trump said, “What’s going on with Hamas – that’ll be straightened out quickly,” referring to Israel’s allegations that Hamas had not yet met all conditions of the ceasefire, including the complete return of hostages.
Under the 20-point peace framework drawn up by the Trump administration, “Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.” By Wednesday morning, all 20 living hostages had been released, but only four bodies had been handed over. The Israeli military said one of those did not belong to a hostage. “Getting those 20 hostages out was paramount,” Trump said.
The US President made it clear that the ceasefire would hold only if Hamas disarms. “If you don’t disarm, we will disarm you,” he warned, adding that his peace plan ruled out any governing role for Hamas in post-war Gaza. The proposal envisions Gaza as a demilitarised zone under independent international monitoring, aimed at preventing the resurgence of armed factions.
Violence, however, has continued in the region. Reports from Gaza indicate fresh clashes and alleged executions by Hamas against rival groups, raising concerns over the fragile truce. When asked about these reports, Trump said, “I’m doing research on it. We’ll find out about it. It could be gangs plus.”
Pressed on what would happen if Hamas refuses to surrender its weapons, Trump replied, “I think about it. Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, they’d do that.” He added that he had previously restrained Israel’s military operations. “I had to hold them back. I had it out with Bibi,” he said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump maintained that the peace process had broad international backing, noting that “Fifty-nine countries are part of this,” referring to the summit held in Egypt where participating nations endorsed the principles of the “Trump Peace Agreement.”
He also commented briefly on global conflicts beyond the Middle East, saying he was continuing diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit the White House later this week. “I’m working hard on the Russian thing,” Trump said. “One’s been going on for three years, the other three thousand.”
Trump’s latest remarks underline the conditional nature of the Gaza ceasefire and signal that Washington’s patience with Hamas may be running thin, even as the peace plan moves into its next stage.
