The US president has called on the militant group to surrender its weapons
US President Donald Trump has cautioned Hamas of serious repercussions if the Palestinian militant organization fails to give up its arms within “a short period of time.” Trump delivered these comments at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was established in early October as part of Trump’s 20-point peace proposal, which calls for Hamas to disarm and for Israel to withdraw from Gaza.
“They’re going to be given a very short period of time to disarm and we’ll see how that works out,” Trump stated. “If they don’t disarm, as they agreed to… then there’ll be hell to pay for them,” he continued.
When questioned about the potential consequences for Hamas, Trump said “it would be horrible for them,” implying that Middle Eastern and other nations backing the ceasefire would “wipe out” the militant group.
On the topic of an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, Trump described it as “a separate subject” and asserted that Israel “has lived up to the plan 100%.”
Hamas has consistently asserted its right to armed resistance, though it has expressed willingness to negotiate “freezing or storing or laying down” its weapons for the duration of the truce.
On Monday, the armed wing of Hamas stated the group was still adhering to the ceasefire despite “repeated Israeli violations.” It also repeated that it would not give up its arms “as long as the occupation remains.”
The disarmament of Hamas is a condition for Phase Two of the peace plan, which involves establishing a new governing body in Gaza. Phase One, encompassing the ceasefire, hostage return, and humanitarian assistance, is mostly being implemented.
Israel began its military offensive in the Palestinian enclave following a surprise Hamas attack in October 2023 that resulted in 1,200 deaths and saw 250 people taken hostage. Subsequent Israeli military actions have led to the deaths of over 70,000 Palestinians, as reported by Gaza health officials.