Trump: I’ll eradicate Hamas if…

United States President Donald Trump
United States President Donald Trump has vowed to “eradicate” Hamas if the Palestinian militant group breaches the Gaza deal with Israel.

Trump, however, said he would give Hamas a chance to honour the truce.

Speaking to reporters during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House on Monday night, the president said: “We made a deal with Hamas that they’re going to be very good, they’re going to behave, they’re going to be nice.

“And if they’re not, we’re going to go and we’re going to eradicate them, if we have to. They’ll be eradicated, and they know that.”

Trump added that Hamas was now far weaker, especially as regional backer Iran was now unlikely to step in on its behalf following United States and Israeli strikes this year.

“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,” he stressed.

Trump helped broker the Gaza deal nearly two weeks ago but it has repeatedly come under threat as Israel accuses Hamas of stalling on handing over dead hostages, and of launching attacks.

Hamas’s top negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, told Egypt’s Al-Qahera News that the group was still committed to the ceasefire agreement.

“We are finding it extremely difficult to extract the bodies, but we are serious and working hard to extract them. The Gaza agreement will hold, because we want it to and our will to abide by it is strong,” he said in comments broadcast on Tuesday morning.

United States Vice President JD Vance headed to Israel shortly after Trump’s comments, joining two top US envoys after weekend violence threatened to wreck the fragile ceasefire.

Vance and his wife Usha later left Washington for Israel without commenting to reporters. They were also due to meet with Netanyahu, the prime minister’s office said.