Donald Trump warned that Hamas would face "hell to pay" if it fails to disarm, following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The US president said disarmament was a clear condition of the Gaza ceasefire framework and placed responsibility for further escalation squarely on the militant group.
Not concerned about anything that Israel is doing
Trump dismissed concerns about Israel's military posture, saying he was "not concerned about anything that Israel is doing" and insisting that Israel had fully complied with the existing plan. He described any discussion about Israeli troop withdrawals as "a separate subject" that would be addressed later.
Netanyahu used the visit to announce that Trump would receive the Israel Prize, the country's highest civilian honour, marking the first time it has been awarded to a non-Israeli. The gesture underlined the close political alignment between the two leaders as pressure mounts to move toward the second phase of a fragile Gaza peace deal.
There'll be hell to pay for them and we don't want that
Trump told reporters: "If they don't disarm as they agreed to do (they agreed to it) then there'll be hell to pay for them and we don't want that, we're not looking for that. But they have to disarm within a fairly short period of time."
Hamas, which has rejected full disarmament, reiterated that it would not give up its weapons while Israeli forces remain in Gaza. Its armed wing said Palestinians had the right to defend themselves "as long as the occupation continues," despite US warnings of severe consequences.
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