President Donald Trump has warned Hamas that the US is prepared to bring about their disarmament “quickly and perhaps violently” after the terror group “failed to fulfil their side of the deal”.
Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Hamas last night, stating that he would forcibly disarm them if they fail to surrender their weapons.
Despite the return of more deceased hostages by Hamas on Tuesday, there are growing concerns that the precarious ceasefire in Gaza could crumble as Israel has refused to open the Rafah border crossing for aid.
The irate US President expressed his frustration with Hamas during a press conference at the White House, stating: “They will disarm – and if they don’t I’m gonna make them disarm. They know what I mean.”
The veteran politician, aged 79, cautioned that America was prepared to enforce Hamas’s disarmament “quickly and perhaps violently.”
Mr Trump accused the jihadists of providing misleading information about the number of dead hostages they could return, initially claiming “they had 26, 24”. However, only eight bodies have been recovered from Gaza to date, including the four returned on Tuesday evening, reports the Mirror.
Addressing the media, Mr Trump said: “It seems they don’t have that because we’re talking about a much lesser number. But that’s a very tough subject. I want them back. That’s what they said. I want them back.”
He also noted that Hamas had eliminated “took out two very evil gangs” in Gaza and “killed a number of them,” an action he admitted “didn’t bother me much.”
Hamas is facing violent resistance from several armed factions within the Gaza Strip, which emerged after Israel eradicated the terrorist group’s leadership. Mr Trump arrived back from Egypt late last night, following the signing of a historic peace agreement and a speech in Israel after the release of 20 hostages by Hamas.
Despite the jubilations, it’s still uncertain whether peace will endure after two years of conflict that has resulted in over 70,000 fatalities, as per Gaza’s health ministry.
Mr Trump’s comprehensive 20-point peace plan calls for Hamas to disarm and return the deceased hostages – neither of these commitments have been fulfilled so far. The IDF reported on Tuesday night that the Red Cross had retrieved four more coffins containing dead hostages from Gaza.
This follows the release of another four bodies the previous night.
The whereabouts of 20 hostages, whom Hamas vowed to release as part of the peace agreement, remain unknown. Earlier, Israeli officials announced that the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt would stay shut at least until Wednesday, with aid deliveries into Gaza being scaled back to pressure Hamas into returning the remaining bodies.
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