US President Donald Trump on Thursday warned that he would “go in and kill” Hamas if the militant group continues killing people in Gaza, following reports of renewed violence against Palestinian civilians despite a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The president’s threat came days after he appeared dismissive of the same incidents, describing them as clashes between “gang members” and saying the shootings “didn’t bother me much.”
“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 his Truth Social platform.
While Trump did not specify who he meant by “we,” he had stated earlier in the week that the US military would not be directly involved in Gaza operations.
Under the US-brokered 20-point ceasefire deal, Israeli forces began a partial withdrawal from Gaza, leaving Hamas in control of large parts of the devastated territory. However, the group has since intensified its hold, carrying out public executions of suspected collaborators and launching a violent crackdown in several cities.
On Wednesday, Admiral Brad Cooper, the top US commander in the Middle East, urged Hamas to end the killings and fully comply with Trump’s ceasefire plan.
Despite mounting international concern, Trump had previously downplayed the violence, saying during a White House cabinet meeting on Tuesday, “That didn’t bother me much, to be honest with you. That’s OK. It’s a couple of very bad gangs. It’s very different than other countries.”
During his visit to Israel and Egypt on Monday to mark the Gaza truce, Trump insisted that Hamas had shown willingness to restore calm, saying, “They have been open about it. And we gave them an approval for a period of time.”
What You Should Know
President Trump’s remarks mark a sharp escalation in tone toward Hamas after days of mixed messages.
While initially downplaying reports of civilian executions in Gaza, his new threat suggests growing frustration over the group’s actions following the US-brokered ceasefire deal.
