President Trump said Thursday there would be ‘no choice’ but to eliminate members of Hamas if they continue carrying out mass executions in Gaza as the terrorist group desperately tries to retain control of the enclave.
“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,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social.
Speaking later in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump said he would take a look at the situation and the ceasefire deal and make a decision on any next steps.
“They said they’re going to behave. We’re going to find out if they behave,” he said. “If they don’t behave, we’ll take care of it.”
The president also said that the U.S. military won’t be going into Gaza to put an end to the Hamas executions, but strongly implied that Israel would handle the job.
“Somebody will go in. It’s not going to be us. We won’t have to,” Mr. Trump said. “There are people very close, very nearby that will go in. They’ll do the trick very easily but under our auspices.”
Violent clashes have erupted between Hamas and its rival groups in several hotspots across Gaza since the ceasefire brokered by Mr. Trump went into effect on Monday. Reports of violence have been shared on social media following Israel’s withdrawal from the enclave.
A particularly gruesome video posted on social media shows masked gunmen, some of whom are wearing green headbands associated with Hamas, lining up and killing eight blindfolded people in a Gaza city square. Large crowds of people watch the execution as the bodies are left in the dirt.
Hamas said, without offering evidence, that the slain individuals were “criminals and collaborators” with Israel, according to a BBC report.
Among those killed was Ahmad Zidan al-Tarabin, who allegedly recruited agents to a rival militia, Israeli news outlets reported.
With the Israel Defense Forces out of Gaza, Hamas is using bloodshed to reassert its control over the enclave by targeting family-based armed groups that increased their power during the conflict.
On Sunday, 52 members of the Dagmoush clan were killed while fighting Hamas’ internal security forces, and 12 Hamas terrorists were killed, according to reports in Gaza. Hamas has even used ambulances to invade the clan’s neighborhood and execute its members, whom the terrorists claim collaborate with Israel.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement condemning the latest executions, calling them “heinous crimes” and a “blatant violation of human rights.”
The Independent Commission for Human Rights, which advocates for humanitarian efforts in Gaza, said the “acts constitute grave legal and moral crimes that require urgent condemnation and accountability.”
Mr. Trump’s stern warning marks somewhat of a shift for him, even as the outbreak of violence threatens to derail his peace deal and efforts to rebuild Gaza. His plan also calls for Hamas to lay down its weapons and allow an international force to stabilize Gaza.
On Monday, Mr. Trump was asked about the potential for Hamas to reassert itself and shoot its rivals. Mr. Trump said the U.S. was aware and didn’t object to the violence.
“They’ve been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time,” he said.
Mr. Trump on Tuesday addressed the issue again, saying Hamas had “taken out a couple of gangs that were very bad,” adding: “That didn’t bother me very much, to be honest.”
The U.S. military’s Central Command — which oversees Middle East operations — issued a statement telling Hamas to stop shooting at Palestinian civilians in Gaza, saying it brought U.S. concerns over the violence to international mediators.
