US President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Hamas on Thursday, threatening action over the group’s reported public executions in the Gaza Strip following Israel’s partial withdrawal under a US-brokered ceasefire deal.
“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,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. His statement marked a notable shift from his earlier position, where he had appeared to justify the killings carried out by the militant group.
Two days earlier, Trump had claimed that he gave Hamas “approval for a period of time” to target what he described as “very bad gangs,” implying that the executions were aimed at criminal elements. However, his tone changed after reports surfaced that Palestinian civilians, including alleged collaborators with Israel, were among those executed.
By Wednesday, the US Central Command urged Hamas to halt attacks on “innocent Palestinian civilians” and begin disarming immediately. Later, in an interview with CNN, Trump appeared to soften his earlier remarks, saying he was “doing more research” and adding that the situation “could be gangs plus.”
Unclear Role for the US in Emerging Gaza Security Plan
When Trump spoke of taking action, he used the term “we,” but later clarified that he meant Israel, not the United States. “Somebody will go in,” he said, “but it’s not going to be us. We won’t have to enter the Strip. There are people very nearby that will go in and do the trick very easily, but under our auspices.”
The president’s insistence on avoiding direct military involvement highlights Washington’s hesitation to commit troops to Gaza. This stance has raised doubts about the proposed International Security Force for Gaza, a multinational initiative aimed at stabilizing the enclave during its reconstruction.
According to a European diplomat quoted by The Times of Israel, the lack of a clearly defined American role has made other countries — particularly Arab states — reluctant to participate. “Some nations have expressed interest, but they want a guarantee that the US will also be involved,” the diplomat said, adding that the mandate of the proposed force remains unclear.
Questions persist about whether the mission would focus on maintaining order, training Palestinian security units, or performing other tasks. “There are a lot of things that remain blurred for now,” the diplomat noted, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding international efforts to restore stability in post-conflict Gaza.
