Trump's ultimatum to Hamas: 'If they don't follow the deal, we will strike directly'

International Desk | PNN

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that if Hamas continues its operations in Gaza and the group's violence does not stop, he is prepared to launch an attack against Hamas. In a social media post he said, “If Hamas continues to kill innocent people in Gaza, which is not part of the agreement, we will have no choice and we will kill them.”

However, speaking later to reporters, President Trump clarified that this threat did not mean U.S. troops would enter Gaza. He said, “That will not be our job, but there are people around us who can very easily do that.” His remarks were widely interpreted as a reference to Israel, though he did not name the country directly.

This statement contrasts with some of Trump’s earlier remarks that appeared somewhat supportive of actions taken against certain groups in Gaza. On earlier occasions he said, “They killed some gangs that were very dangerous, and I wasn’t particularly upset about that.” Nonetheless, there are concerns about ongoing violence in Gaza involving some armed groups and their clashes with Israeli forces. Following such clashes, Gaza’s internal ministry announced a general amnesty for gang members who had not taken part in bloody confrontations.

Trump later warned that he would seek to disarm Hamas. He said, “They will be disarmed, and if they do not give up their weapons themselves, we will disarm them — and it will happen quickly and violently.”

Meanwhile, U.N. humanitarian agencies and the World Food Programme (WFP) have expressed deep concern about food aid in Gaza. Despite a ceasefire, shortages of food, water, and medical supplies persist in Gaza, and aid deliveries remain severely limited. Israeli restrictions on Gaza’s borders and on humanitarian flows have continued to complicate the situation even after the ceasefire agreement.

Because violations of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas persist, Trump’s threats risk triggering a new crisis, raising numerous questions about the future of peace processes in the Middle East.