United States President Donald Trump has issued a strong warning to Hamas, saying the group would be “eradicated” if it violates the current ceasefire with Israel.
His comments came as Vice President JD Vance travelled to Israel to reinforce Washington’s support for the fragile truce in Gaza.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, according to AFP news, Mr Trump said the ceasefire deal was clear and that Hamas must stick to its commitments. “We made a deal with Hamas that they’re going to be very good, they’re going to behave,” he said. “If they’re not, we’ll eradicate them. They know that.”
The US-brokered truce, which began on 10 October, has faced mounting challenges after fresh violence erupted over the weekend. Israel accused Hamas of delaying the handover of hostages’ bodies, prompting renewed airstrikes that killed at least 45 people, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
Israel confirmed on Monday that Hamas had returned the body of one hostage, bringing the total number to 13 of the 28 it pledged to hand over. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office insisted that the ceasefire would only hold if Hamas fulfilled its promise to return all the remains. “We will not compromise on this,” his statement read.
Hamas, meanwhile, said it needs more time and technical support to recover the remaining bodies.
Vice President Vance’s visit is aimed at stabilising the ceasefire and discussing what Mr Netanyahu described as “security challenges and diplomatic opportunities.”
Under the current arrangement, Israeli forces have pulled back to positions beyond what is known as the “Yellow Line,” maintaining control over roughly half of Gaza, including border areas but not its major cities. However, tension remains high, with both sides accusing each other of breaking the truce.
President Trump said the US military would not be directly involved in any renewed conflict but added that Israel “would go in within minutes” if he gave the order. “Right now, we’re giving it a chance,” he said.
The Gaza war began after Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed over 68,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The United Nations says the figures are credible and that more than half of those killed are women and children.