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Hamas

Trump Warns Hamas: US Will Disarm if Group Does Not Cooperate

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

President Donald Trump said the United States could step in to disarm Hamas "quickly and perhaps violently" if the organization did not do so itself, a potential vulnerability in a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement aimed at ending two years of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Hamas has controlled Gaza for nearly two decades and has not publicly agreed to or signed anything that specifies how it will disarm. However, Trump suggested Tuesday that he had received verbal assurances the group would.

Trump's warning indicates one of several minefields to navigate as Israel and Hamas move on to the second phase of negotiations over the ceasefire agreement. Hamas returned all 20 surviving hostages on Monday, more than two years after they were kidnapped, as part of the ceasefire deal's first phase. At various points over the past two years, Hamas has said it was ready to relinquish political control over Gaza, but giving up its weapons would be a red line.

Key Takeaways:

  • Trump said the US would disarm Hamas "quickly and perhaps violently" if the group did not cooperate, potentially breaching a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement.
  • Hamas has not publicly agreed to or signed anything that specifies how it will disarm despite the Trump administration's demands.
  • Trump received verbal assurances from Hamas that they would disarm, according to the President.
  • The US has not provided specifics on how it would disarm Hamas and declined to give a deadline.
  • The ceasefire agreement's second phase includes a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors.
  • Israeli officials have accused Hamas of breaching the terms of the agreement, including returning only four of the 28 deceased hostages' bodies.
  • The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called it a "blatant breach" of the agreement, and Israel's defense establishment recommended keeping the Rafah border crossing with Egypt closed pending the return of the hostages' remains.

Statistics:

  • Nearly two decades have passed since Hamas controlled Gaza.
  • Hamas has not agreed to disarm despite the ceasefire agreement.
  • 20 surviving hostages were returned by Hamas on Monday.
  • 28 deceased hostages were expected to be returned under the agreement, but only eight bodies have been transferred so far.
  • The deadline for recovering all the remains was 72 hours.

Sources:

  • The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com)
  • Statements made by President Donald Trump and Israeli officials referenced in the article.

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