WASHINGTON: United States President, Donald Trump, has threatened to “go in and kill” Hamas if the group continues to kill civilians in Gaza, escalating global concern over his latest comments on the fragile ceasefire in the region.
Trump issued the threat on Thursday via his Truth Social platform, warning that the U.S. would have no choice but to act if reports of Hamas executing people in Gaza persisted.
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.
The president’s comments followed global outrage over videos showing alleged executions of Palestinian civilians by Hamas forces.
The incidents reportedly occurred after Israel’s partial troop withdrawal under the U.S.-backed 20-point ceasefire deal.
While Trump did not clarify what he meant by we, he insisted that American troops would not be directly involved in any new Gaza operation.
We won’t need the U.S. military, Trump said earlier this week, hinting at an unspecified plan to counter Hamas.
Observers say Hamas has tightened its control over war-torn areas since Israeli troops pulled back, with reports of public crackdowns and extrajudicial killings.
The U.S. commander in the Middle East, Admiral Brad Cooper, also warned the militant group on Wednesday to halt the killings and abide by the ceasefire terms brokered by Washington.
Trump, however, had earlier dismissed the reports of civilian executions, telling journalists that the killings were not a big deal and involved very bad gangs.
That didn’t bother me much, to be honest with you. It’s very different from other countries, Trump said during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
During his trip to Israel and Egypt earlier in the week to mark the Gaza truce, Trump claimed that Hamas had been open about wanting to restore order.
They’ve been open about it, and we gave them an approval for a period of time,” he added aboard Air Force One.
His latest remarks have triggered mixed reactions across the international community, with analysts warning that such rhetoric could reignite tensions just weeks after the ceasefire took effect.
