President Trump didn’t mince words Tuesday, telling reporters that Hamas must disarm under his 20-point peace plan or face U.S. intervention. Hosting Argentine President Javier Milei, Trump snapped, “Well, they’re going to disarm because they said they were going to disarm, and if they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.” This came hours after Hamas handed over just four hostage bodies, far short of expectations, admitting they “misrepresented” the numbers.
The tough rhetoric follows Trump’s recent trip to Israel and Egypt, where he celebrated the cease-fire he brokered after two years of war. The deal includes Hamas releasing 20 Israeli captives for Palestinian inmates and Israeli troop pullbacks, but key details like disarmament stages remain undecided. Hamas quickly exploited an Israeli withdrawal to attack rivals, executing eight alleged collaborators.
“If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them, and it’ll happen quickly and perhaps violently, but they will disarm. You understand me,” Trump said.
World leaders at Monday’s Sharm-el-Sheikh summit praised the initial agreement, though concerns linger over enforcement. Trump’s “Board of Peace” would oversee Gaza’s transition to a special economic zone with Arab-funded reconstruction.
Trump’s unyielding approach raises questions: Can threats alone secure lasting peace, or will they escalate tensions in the volatile region? It’s a high-stakes gamble for stability.
Sources: White House Press Briefing, Sharm-el-Sheikh Summit Reports
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