US President Donald Trump told CNN on Wednesday that Israel may resume its military operations in Gaza if Hamas fails to uphold the terms of the current ceasefire, stating Israeli forces could return to action "as soon as I say the word."
"What’s going on with Hamas - that’ll be straightened out quickly," President Trump said during a brief telephone interview with CNN.
Hamas has been failing to comply with a key provision of the ceasefire agreement, which requires the group to release both living and deceased hostages. While all 20 living hostages have been returned, only eight bodies have been handed over, and one does not belong to a hostage.
Point 4 of Trump’s 20-point peace plan states, "Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned."
"Getting those 20 hostages out was paramount," Trump said in the interview, emphasizing the significance of their release.
The president also addressed reports of internal violence in Gaza following the hostage deal, suggesting Hamas may be targeting rival factions. "Right now, Hamas is going in and clearing out the gangs, violent gangs," Trump said. Asked whether innocent Palestinians might be caught in the crackdown, he responded, "I’m doing research on it. We’ll find out about it. It could be gangs plus."
When asked what would happen if Hamas refuses to disarm, Trump told CNN: "I think about it. Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, they’d do that."
"I had to hold them back," the president added, referencing his discussions with the Netanyahu government. "I had it out with Bibi."
Despite ongoing challenges, President Trump expressed optimism about broader regional support for the ceasefire and long-term peace efforts. He noted that 59 countries have aligned with the agreement, describing it as unprecedented: "We’ve never seen anything like this. Now it’s all happening."
He added, "They want to be part of the Abraham Accords. Now that Iran isn’t a problem."