A day after Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, US President Donald Trump delivered a sharp warning to the militant group on Monday, vowing “eradication” if it breaks the truce again.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump underscored that maintaining peace in the Middle East depended on Hamas “being good” and “behaving.” He made it clear that any aggression from the group would invite a decisive response.
“We have peace in the Middle East for the first time ever. We made a deal with Hamas that, they gonna be very good. They’re going to behave, they’re going to be nice, and if they’re not… we’re going to eradicate them if we have to. They’ll be eradicated — and they know that,” Trump said.
The US President accused Hamas of repeated violence and claimed the group’s traditional sources of support had diminished significantly, particularly from Iran.
“They went in and killed a lot of people. They’re violent people. Hamas has been very violent. But they don’t have the backing of Iran anymore. They don’t have the backing of really anybody anymore. They have to be good, and if they’re not good, they’ll be eradicated,” Trump added.
While vowing strong consequences, Trump clarified that the United States would not deploy forces to the region, stating there would be “no involvement of US forces” in any potential conflict.
The remarks coincided with his meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Oval Office, where the two leaders signed a multi-billion-dollar pact focused on critical minerals and defense cooperation.
Renewed Tension In Gaza After Ceasefire Violations
On Sunday, Israel announced what it called a “renewed enforcement” of the ceasefire following air strikes across Gaza, which officials said were in retaliation for attacks on Israeli troops by Hamas militants.
In the aftermath, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, according to the Times of Israel. Meanwhile, US Vice-President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, are scheduled to visit Israel on Tuesday.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed their strikes in a post on X, stating: “In accordance with the directive of the political echelon, and following a series of significant strikes in response to Hamas’ violations, the IDF has begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire, in line with the terms of the agreement. The IDF will continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and will respond firmly to any violation of it.”
According to the IDF, the latest air strikes targeted multiple Hamas-linked sites, including weapons depots, firing positions, armed cells, and roughly six kilometres of underground tunnels allegedly used to plan attacks against Israel.
The Israeli military said the strikes followed an escalation in Rafah, southern Gaza, where Hamas militants allegedly fired an anti-tank missile and gunshots at IDF troops operating to dismantle terror infrastructure in accordance with the ceasefire’s terms.
Mounting Death Toll Since Ceasefire Began
The Gaza Media Office reported on Sunday that 97 people had been killed and another 230 injured since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10. In a statement on Telegram, the office accused Israeli forces of 80 ceasefire breaches since that date, calling them “blatant and clear breaches” of international humanitarian law.
Citing hospital officials in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported that at least 42 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes on Sunday, marking one of the deadliest days since the US-brokered truce began.