President Donald Trump sharply escalated his rhetoric on Thursday, warning that the United States—or its partners acting with U.S. support—would have to take lethal action against Hamas if internal violence in Gaza continues.
Speaking amid fragile implementation of a U.S.-backed ceasefire and a complex hostage-return deal, Trump said that recent killings inside Gaza by armed groups were unacceptable and that Hamas must disarm and stop the bloodshed. “If they keep killing people in Gaza… we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” he said, a phrase that prompted immediate international attention and alarm.
The comment came after days of intense diplomacy aimed at securing and enforcing a pause in the two-year war between Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire framework calls for Hamas to release all hostages and for Israeli forces to withdraw to agreed positions; it also envisages steps toward humanitarian access and reconstruction. But implementation has been uneven, and outbreaks of violence inside Gaza — including clashes between rival armed groups, summary executions and reprisals — have strained the truce.
Within hours, White House officials sought to clarify aspects of the president’s remark, stressing that U.S. forces were not being sent into Gaza. Washington has already deployed a small contingent of personnel to Israel and is coordinating with regional partners to monitor and support the deal’s implementation. Trump’s office said later that any direct U.S. military intervention into Gaza was not planned, but that he expected allied states — and Israel — to act decisively if Hamas failed to meet its obligations.
The president’s statement marks a notable rhetorical shift. Earlier this week he had publicly described some of the internal violence in Gaza as gang-related and emphasized the need for Hamas to reassert order. Thursday’s warning, however, signalled a harder line: it framed the internal unrest as a test of the ceasefire, and threatened force if the group did not comply.
Analysts and diplomats reacted with concern. Critics warned the language risked undermining delicate negotiations and could inflame tensions at a moment when hostage releases and aid deliveries are precarious. Supporters argued the tough message aimed to pressure Hamas to disarm and to reassure Israeli leaders frustrated by delays in returning hostages and bodies.
The situation on the ground remains volatile. Israeli officials and Hamas negotiators have traded accusations over delays in handing over remains and in honoring other truce conditions. Humanitarian agencies continue to report catastrophic needs across Gaza, where destruction, food shortages and damaged health facilities have compounded civilian suffering.
Trump’s remarks further complicate an already fraught diplomatic environment. With regional and global partners watching closely, how the United States translates this rhetoric into policy — and whether it will be accepted by allies in the region — will shape the immediate prospects for both the ceasefire’s survival and the longer-term political arrangements for Gaza.
