United States President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Hamas, threatening to “eradicate” the militant group if it violates the fragile ceasefire agreement brokered between Israel and Hamas.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said, “We made a deal with Hamas that they’re going to be very good, they’re going to behave, they’re going to be nice.
“If they’re not, we’re going to go and we’re going to eradicate them, if we have to.”
The warning comes amid renewed tensions in Gaza, where deadly violence erupted over the weekend. Israel accused Hamas of stalling the handover of hostages’ bodies, a key component of the October 10 ceasefire agreement.
Vice President JD Vance is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday to reinforce the truce and hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on regional security and diplomatic prospects.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Hamas had returned the body of one hostage on Monday, bringing the total to 13 of the 28 pledged. The prime minister insisted that all remains must be returned for the ceasefire to hold.
“We will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until we return all of the deceased hostages, every last one of them,” the statement read.
Hamas said it requires more time and technical support to recover the remaining bodies.
Despite the truce, Israel launched airstrikes on Sunday in response to the killing of two Israeli soldiers, deploying 153 tons of explosives. Gaza’s civil defence agency reported at least 45 deaths from the strikes.
The Israeli military said it had resumed enforcement of the ceasefire and would respond to any violations.
Hamas denied involvement in the attack and accused Israel of fabricating pretexts to resume hostilities.
Under Trump’s 20-point peace plan, Israeli forces have withdrawn beyond the “Yellow Line,” maintaining control over Gaza’s borders but not its main cities.
The war, which began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has claimed at least 68,216 lives in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The United Nations considers the figures credible, noting that more than half of the casualties are women and children.
Hamas’s initial attack resulted in 1,221 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, based on official Israeli data.
