Calling Hamas unwilling to negotiate, President Donald Trump on Friday urged Israel to “clean it up” in Gaza and “finish the job” after US-brokered truce talks broke down and fighting resumed.
Speaking before departing for a trip to Scotland, Trump said Hamas had rejected a US-backed ceasefire proposal because the group has no real interest in peace.
“Hamas really didn’t want to make a deal. I think they want to die,” Trump told reporters. “It’s very, very bad. It got to be to a point where you have to finish the job.”
His warning came a day after his Middle East peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced that the United States would pull back from the negotiations to reassess its strategy in Washington.
Trump, who was closely involved in securing the release of Edan Alexander — the final US-Israeli citizen held hostage by Hamas — claimed the militant group’s refusal to budge on the final stages of the talks proved it remained committed to violence.
“Now we’re down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages,” Trump said. “Basically because of that, they really didn’t want to make a deal.”
With Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsening by the day, Trump suggested diplomacy was no longer an option.
“They’ll have to fight and clean it up,” he said, offering his support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing offensive. “They (Hamas) will be hunted down.”
Netanyahu said Israel was now considering “alternative” measures to achieve its objectives of freeing hostages and ending Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip.
US envoy Witkoff said Hamas was responsible for the breakdown in negotiations, a view Netanyahu endorsed.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim disputed this, writing on Facebook that the talks had been “constructive” and accusing Witkoff of trying to apply pressure in Israel’s favour.
“What we have presented — with full awareness and understanding of the complexity of the situation — we believe could lead to a deal if the enemy had the will to reach one,” Naim said.
Qatar and Egypt, who have mediated the talks alongside the United States, said there had been signs of progress and described pauses as a normal part of the process. Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to pushing for a ceasefire.
Mass hunger deepens in Gaza
Meanwhile, conditions for Gaza’s 2.2 million people have deteriorated rapidly. Aid agencies warn that food and medical supplies are almost exhausted, with the risk of famine increasing daily. Israel’s blockade — tightened in March and only partially relaxed in May — has left many civilians starving.
“The Gaza Strip does not need flying aerobatics,” said Ismail Al-Thawabta, who heads the Hamas-run Gaza media office. He dismissed recent airdrops by Israel and other countries as inadequate, saying what Gaza really needs is a secure humanitarian corridor and a constant flow of aid trucks.
Gaza’s health authorities reported nine more deaths from malnutrition and starvation in the past 24 hours alone, with dozens of fatalities in recent weeks as the hunger crisis worsens.
The United Nations confirmed on Friday that supplies of specialised therapeutic food for severely malnourished children are nearly depleted. UN agencies blame Israel’s restrictions for obstructing aid operations.
Israel maintains that it has allowed enough aid into the territory and accuses the UN of mismanaging its delivery. “This is a deliberate ploy to defame Israel,” the Israeli foreign ministry said.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher has demanded that Israel provide evidence for allegations that UN aid staff are linked to Hamas. In a letter seen by the local media agency, Fletcher asked Israel to substantiate its claims amid mounting international criticism of Israel’s role in Gaza’s humanitarian collapse.
Fighting continued on the ground. Palestinian officials said Israeli airstrikes and gunfire killed 21 people on Friday, including five in an attack on a school in Gaza City sheltering displaced families. Among the dead was journalist Adam Abu Harbid, whose body was carried through the streets draped in his blue flak jacket marked “PRESS”.
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