Trump Threatens to Kill Hamas Over Gaza Gang Clashes, Demands Immediate Disarmament
United States President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Hamas, threatening military action if the group continues its crackdown on Gaza-based gangs and alleged Israeli collaborators — a statement that appears to mark a sharp reversal from his earlier stance supporting Hamas’s actions. In a post shared on social media Thursday, Trump wrote: “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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Speaking later to reporters, the U.S. president clarified that American troops would not enter Gaza directly but suggested that nearby allies — an apparent reference to Israel — could take action “under U.S. auspices.” “It’s not going to be us. We won’t have to,” Trump said. “There are people very close, very nearby that will go in and they’ll do the trick very easily.” The comments represent a dramatic about-face for Trump, who earlier in the week appeared to condone Hamas’s violent campaign against Gaza gangs accused of looting aid and collaborating with Israel. “They did take out a couple of gangs that were very bad… and that didn’t bother me much, to be honest with you,” he told reporters on Tuesday. The latest tensions follow deadly clashes between Hamas fighters and armed clans in Gaza, which have left several people dead. Local reports say gang members armed by Israel were behind the killing of prominent Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi earlier this week. In June, Israeli officials admitted to arming certain Gaza gangs, some with ties to ISIL (ISIS), in an attempt to destabilise Hamas’s rule. The Interior Ministry in Gaza has since offered a general amnesty to gang members who did not take part in the fighting. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Hamas’s alleged execution of suspected Israeli collaborators, calling the acts a “heinous crime” and a violation of human rights. Under Trump’s ceasefire plan, Hamas is expected to fully disarm and relinquish control of Gaza’s administration — terms the group has yet to publicly accept. “They will disarm, and if they don’t, we will disarm them,” Trump warned, “and it’ll happen quickly and perhaps violently.” The truce, brokered earlier this week, has so far held despite continued Israeli violations that have killed several Palestinians. Israel has also delayed reopening the Rafah crossing with Egypt, citing Hamas’s alleged failure to return the bodies of Israeli captives. While Trump has touted the ceasefire as ushering in “a new Middle East,” his latest threats have cast serious doubt on the future stability of the fragile truce — and on Washington’s shifting role in Gaza’s postwar order.
