Topline
President Donald Trump warned Hamas the U.S. will attack the militant group if it “continues to kill people in Gaza,” a violation of the widely lauded ceasefire deal Trump brokered that facilitated the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza on Monday.
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday October 15, 2025. (Photo by Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Washington Post via Getty Images
Key Facts
If Hamas continues the violence, “which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday.
Trump’s warning comes in the wake of a video showing Hamas publicly executing eight Palestinian rivals in a crowded street in Gaza City on Monday, days after a ceasefire with Israel began, The New York Times reported.
The executions, along with clashes with local clans, are designed by Hamas to “send a message: ‘We are here. We are the sole authority in Gaza,’” Palestinian political analyst Tamer Qarmout told the Times.
Trump told CNN on Wednesday Hamas was “going in and clearing out the gangs, violent gangs,” and said he was “doing research” to find out if Hamas was executing innocent Palestinians, warning that he could authorize Israel to resume fighting if Hamas does not adhere to the terms of the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Hamas and Israel have accused each other of continued fighting: Hamas accused Israel of killing at least 24 people in shootings since Friday, Reuters reported Thursday, citing an unnamed senior Hamas official, while the Israeli government said Hamas has not returned the bodies of 19 hostages (Hamas reportedly said it handed over all the bodies it could recover).
Trump has repeatedly warned Hamas to adhere to the terms of his 20-point peace plan and disarm, telling reporters Tuesday from the White House “if they don’t disarm, we will disarm them,” adding “it will happen quickly and perhaps violently.”
Crucial Quote
“We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza—in both Hamas-held parts of Gaza and those secured by the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] behind the Yellow Line,” U.S. Central Command leader Adm. Brad Cooper said on X on Wednesday. “This is an historic opportunity for peace. Hamas should seize it by fully standing down, strictly adhering to President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, and disarming without delay.”
Key Background
Hamas returned the 20 surviving hostages to Israel from the Gaza Strip on Monday as part of the ceasefire deal Trump brokered, marking a major foreign policy achievement for his presidency that was widely lauded by leaders on both sides of the aisle. The deal states that all Hamas members “who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty.”
Further Reading
Hamas Releases All 20 Surviving Hostages Under Gaza Ceasefire Deal As Trump Arrives In Israel (Forbes)
Trump Says Israel And Hamas Have Agreed To First Phase Of Peace Deal—IDF Readies Partial Troop Withdrawal (Forbes)
Hamas Releases All 20 Surviving Hostages Under Gaza Ceasefire Deal As Trump Arrives In Israel (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/10/16/trump-says-we-will-have-no-choice-but-to-go-in-and-kill-hamas-if-it-continues-to-kill-people-in-gaza/
