United States President Donald Trump has warned Hamas of “complete obliteration” if the group insists on taking control over Gaza and blocks progress on his proposed ceasefire deal. His warning comes amid Gaza peace talks which are set to begin on Monday in Egypt. The Hamas delegation has reached Egypt on Sunday to hold negotiations with the Israeli delegation, which is set to arrive today. Moreover, Trump has asked mediators to “move fast” in order to end the Gaza war and restore peace in the region.
Trump’s remark came when he was responding to questions on his 20-point ceasefire plan. When asked directly over text message what would happen if Hamas insisted on staying in power, Trump said, “Complete Obliteration!” as reported by CNN.
Gaza peace talks begin in Egypt today
Notably, Trump has sent his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and top West Asia negotiator Steve Witkoff to Cairo to lead US efforts in the negotiations. On being asked on Senator Lindsey Graham’s claim that Hamas had already rejected the plan by refusing to disarm, seeking full Palestinian control of Gaza, and tying hostage release to broader negotiations, Trump said, “We will find out. Only time will tell!!!”
Meanwhile, Trump on Sunday stated that there is no need to modify Gaza peace plan, as all parties involved are already in agreement. During a conversation with reporters before departing the White House, President Trump was asked whether there would be any changes to the Gaza peace plan. He responded that the details would be finalised within a couple of days and the nitty gritty will be fixed.
Trump emphasised that negotiations are currently taking place and everybody has pretty much agreed to the plan. He called Hamas’ plan “amazing” and asserted that peace would usher in the Middle East after a very long time. Trump stressed that the deal is great for everybody including Israel, Arab and Muslim countries and the hostages would be released immediately.
Furthermore, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed hope that hostages could be released during the Sukkot holiday, which begins on Monday evening and lasts for a week. The holiday is followed immediately by Simhat Torah, which coincides with the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack on the Hebrew calendar, as reported by The Times of Israel.
