Trump tells CNN Israeli forces could resume fighting in Gaza ‘as soon as I say the word’ if Hamas won’t uphold ceasefire deal

By Jake Tapper, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would consider allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume military action in Gaza if Hamas refuses to uphold its end of the ceasefire deal, telling CNN that Israeli forces could return to the streets “as soon as I say the word.”

“What’s going on with Hamas – that’ll be straightened out quickly,” the president said in a brief telephone call.

Trump’s comments come as Israel is accusing Hamas, a group labeled a terrorist organization by the US government, of not abiding by the agreement that it hand over hostages, living and dead, as part of a deal to end the fighting in Gaza. That has caused rising anger in Israel, where authorities have told the UN that humanitarian aid shipments expected to be allowed into Gaza will be reduced or delayed because of the small number of deceased hostages turned over. But so far, the tenuous ceasefire has held.

Point 4 of Trump’s 20-point peace plan stated, “Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.” As of Wednesday morning, all 20 of the living Israeli hostages had been returned to Israel. But Hamas had handed over the bodies of eight people, including four last night, and the Israeli military has said that one of them does not belong to an Israeli hostage. Four to five more bodies are expected to be returned this evening, a source familiar with the matter told CNN on Wednesday.

Trump noted the rescue of the living hostages was important in its own right. “Getting those 20 hostages out was paramount,” the US president said.

In the days following the hostage release, violent clashes have erupted between Hamas and rival groups, including an incident that culminated in an apparent public execution. Trump has warned previously that Hamas must also disarm or “we will disarm them.” His 20-point plan contemplates a future in which Hamas agrees not to have any role in the governance of Gaza, which will be demilitarized and under independent monitoring. But the administration has acknowledged that it still has to do more work to resolve the future of Gaza, and that the agreement that prompted the hostage release is only Phase 1.

Trump told CNN that right now, Hamas is “going in and clearing out the gangs, violent gangs.”

“I’m doing research on it,” he said when asked if it was possible that Hamas was executing innocent Palestinians. “We’ll find out about it. It could be gangs plus,” he said.

Point 6 of the president’s 20-point peace plan states, “Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.”

What happens if Hamas refuses to disarm? CNN asked the president.

“I think about it,” Trump responded. “Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, they’d do that.”

“I had to hold them back,” the president said of the Israel Defense Forces and Netanyahu administration. “I had it out with Bibi.”

The president, though, was clearly feeling positive about long-term prospects for peace, particularly given the strong support of other countries in the region.

“Fifty-nine countries are part of this,” he said of the ceasefire deal, apparently referring to those countries who attended a ceremony in Egypt to sign a document of high-level principles titled the “Trump Peace Agreement” or expressed statements of support. “We’ve never seen anything like this. Now it’s all happening. They want to be part of the Abraham Accords. Now that Iran isn’t a problem.”

Trump also said he was continuing to work on ending the Russian war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit the White House on Friday.

“I’m working hard on the Russian thing,” Trump said. He wondered which would be a bigger accomplishment – peace in the Middle East or between Russia and Ukraine. Your reporter noted that the Middle East conflict has been historically more difficult to bring to a conclusion.

“True,” the president said. “One’s been going on for three years, the other three thousand.”

The president also spent some time in this brief call criticizing the news media – specifically taking issue with a recent interview of Vice President JD Vance by ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos – while expressing hope that CBS News will now become “fairer” with new management. “I don’t expect them to become like Fox,” he said, “just fair.” CNN requested a one-on-one, sit-down interview with Trump in person – something he has not agreed to do since 2016 – and he said he would consider it.

This story has been updated with additional information on the bodies handed over by Hamas.

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