Washington: US President Donald Trump on Thursday issued a big warning to Hamas, saying the United States may be forced to take military action against the group if it continues targeting civilians in Gaza.
Trump posted on Truth Social, “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them.”
The warning came a day after Trump spoke about the situation in Gaza, highlighting Hamas’ search for the bodies of the remaining hostages and the wider impact of the US-backed peace deal.
Put together, Trump’s comments on the hostages and the peace deal on Wednesday help explain his strong warning on Thursday, connecting concerns over civilians and hostages with the possibility of tougher US action if the attacks go on.
Describing the grim task in recovering bodies, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, “It’s a gruesome process… They’re digging and they’re finding a lot of bodies. Then they have to separate the bodies.”
He elaborated on the conditions in which some bodies were found, noting, “Some of those bodies have been in there a long time, and some are under rubble. They have to remove rubble. Some are in tunnels… that are way down under the earth.”
These remarks highlight the seriousness of the humanitarian crisis, which forms the basis of his warning about possible US action.
Turning to the issue of weapons, Trump stressed the need for Hamas to comply with the peace agreement, saying, “We want the weapons to be given… They’ve agreed to do it. Now they have to do it. If they don’t do it, we’ll do it.”
Building on his earlier comments, he reinforced that Hamas must surrender its weapons, warning of decisive US action if the group fails to comply. “They’re going to disarm, because they said they were going to disarm. And if they don’t disarm, we will disarm them,” Trump said.
He added, “They know I’m not playing games,” emphasising the seriousness of the US stance.
Trump made these remarks during a bilateral lunch with Argentinian President Javier Milei at the White House, shortly after the US announced a USD 20 billion financial support package to stabilise Argentina’s economy.
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