Trump threatens military action against Hamas

One week after a ceasefire was announced in Gaza, President Donald Trump warned that the United States could take military action against Hamas if the group continues targeting civilians in the enclave.

“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The president’s remarks come amid reports that Hamas carried out public executions of individuals opposing the group, with videos of the killings circulating online. CNN reported that the footage appeared to show eight blindfolded people executed by Hamas fighters.

Ceasefire Under Strain

Trump issued the warning while meeting Argentina’s President Javier Milei at the White House Wednesday. He stressed that the U.S. expects Hamas to disarm voluntarily and indicated that failure to comply could result in forceful intervention.

“We have told them we want [them to] disarm and they will disarm. And if they don’t disarm, we will disarm them,” Trump said. “And it’ll happen quickly and perhaps violently.”

The ceasefire, designed to stabilize Gaza after weeks of violence, remains precarious. Israel has threatened to cut humanitarian aid to Gaza after Hamas failed to return the bodies of slain hostages by the agreed-upon deadline.

Under the terms of the peace deal’s first phase, Israel released Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Hamas had agreed to return the bodies of 28 deceased hostages by midday Monday. So far, only nine bodies have been returned. In response, Israel has warned it may reduce aid to Gaza and redeploy military forces to previously evacuated areas.

Hamas stated that it had “committed to what was agreed upon and handed over everyone it had in terms of living captives and what it had in terms of bodies that it could recover,” according to the New York Times. The group added that “special equipment” is needed to locate additional remains.

Disarmament and Reconstruction

Hamas has not visibly taken steps to disarm, a key component of the ceasefire agreement. U.S. officials acknowledge the challenge but are considering beginning reconstruction efforts in areas where Hamas has been removed, even if full disarmament has not yet occurred.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reinforced the stakes, warning that Hamas must relinquish arms and political control in Gaza or risk renewed violence. “All hell breaks loose,” he said, according to CBS News.

The second phase of the peace plan envisions a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the resumption of humanitarian aid to both Gaza and the West Bank. Observers warn that without progress on disarmament and hostage returns, the ceasefire could unravel, increasing the risk of further conflict.