Trump warns Hamas of ‘complete obliteration’ if it refuses to cede power in Gaza

Trump warns Hamas of ‘complete obliteration’ if it refuses to cede power in Gaza

In a stern warning, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened Hamas with "complete obliteration" if it does not cede control of Gaza. This comes as part of a broader peace initiative aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Trump's ultimatum was issued on Sunday, giving Hamas a deadline to accept the proposed peace deal or face severe consequences .

The U.S. President's warning was delivered during an interview with CNN, where he expressed his expectation that Hamas would soon show its commitment to peace. He also confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on board with ending the bombing in Gaza and supporting the U.S.'s broader vision .

Under the proposed peace plan, Hamas is expected to release 20 Israeli hostages within 72 hours and give up control of Gaza. In return, Israel would halt its offensive and provide humanitarian aid to the territory. The plan, however, does not include a governing role for Hamas in Gaza and leaves the door open for an eventual Palestinian state, a proposal that has been rejected by Netanyahu .

Hamas, in a statement released on Friday, accepted some elements of Trump's plan but insisted on further consultations among Palestinians. The group expressed its willingness to release hostages but emphasized that certain aspects of the proposal, including the future of Gaza and Palestinian rights, should be decided based on a "unanimous Palestinian stance" .

Trump has set a Sunday evening deadline for Hamas to agree to the deal, threatening an even greater military onslaught if the agreement is not reached. He has also expressed his frustration with delays in the peace process and has thanked Israel for temporarily stopping the bombing to give the peace deal a chance to be completed .

The conflict in Gaza has been ongoing for nearly two years, with Israel's offensive resulting in over 66,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The offensive has also displaced around 90% of Gaza's population, leaving much of the territory uninhabitable .

The U.S. and Israel have been under pressure to end the fighting and bring back the hostages, with both administrations providing extensive military and diplomatic support to Israel. The Biden and Trump administrations have both attempted to broker a peace deal, but the conflict remains unresolved .