U.S. President, Donald Trump, has issued a stark warning to Hamas, threatening a direct intervention if the group continues to carry out public executions and killings in Gaza.
“If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform Thursday, referring to a ceasefire agreement backed by his administration.
Though he did not clarify whether “we” implied U.S. military involvement, Trump has in recent days insisted American forces would not be required to restore order in Gaza.
The comments followed reports that Hamas has intensified its crackdown in Gaza following the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops under a U.S.-brokered 20-point truce.
Eyewitness accounts describe street-level executions of alleged collaborators and increasing civilian casualties.
Despite earlier appearing unconcerned, Trump’s tone shifted amid mounting criticism.
“That didn’t bother me much, to be honest with you. That’s OK. It’s a couple of very bad gangs,” he had said on Tuesday during a cabinet meeting. “It’s very different than other countries.”
However, pressure from senior military advisers and allies appears to have forced a harder stance. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, had on Wednesday publicly demanded that Hamas halt the killings and abide by the ceasefire terms.
The president recently returned from a high-profile visit to Israel and Egypt, where he marked what he called the end of war in Gaza.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump claimed Hamas was committed to restoring calm in the region.
“They have been open about wanting to stop the problems. And we gave them an approval for a period of time, ” he said.
His remarks suggested that the U.S. had granted Hamas some leeway under the ceasefire arrangement, but Thursday’s threat signaled a sharp shift in tone.
Despite the strong rhetoric, Trump has not detailed what form any intervention would take, nor confirmed whether U.S. forces would participate directly.
His earlier statement that “we won’t need the U.S. military” has left analysts and foreign policy experts speculating whether regional allies or proxy groups might be involved in any action against Hamas.
Since Israeli forces pulled back from key parts of Gaza under the ceasefire, Hamas has reportedly reasserted control over devastated urban areas.
Activists and aid workers said the group had conducted multiple executions in public squares, targeting suspected informants and dissenters.
The violence has triggered international concern, even as Washington defends its ceasefire diplomacy.
Trump’s threat marked one of the most aggressive public warnings to Hamas since the latest round of hostilities began.
It also highlighted growing tensions between maintaining peace deals and responding to human rights violations.
Whether the president’s comments would translate into concrete military or diplomatic action remains to be seen.
But his statement has sent a clear signal that the U.S. is prepared to reconsider its hands-off approach if killings persist.
