US President Donald Trump has issued one of his starkest warning yet to Hamas, threatening the Palestinian militant group with severe consequences if it fails to disarm within what he described as a “very short period of time.” Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on December 30, Trump’s remarks have injected fresh tension into an already fragile ceasefire arrangement in Gaza, raising questions about the future of his administration’s peace plan and the prospects for long-term stability in the region.

Trump’s warning comes just weeks after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in early October under a US-backed 20-point peace framework. The plan, unveiled by Washington as a roadmap toward ending the conflict, envisions Hamas disarming in exchange for a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the establishment of a new governance structure in the enclave. While Phase One of the agreement – including a cessation of hostilities, the return of hostages, and increased humanitarian aid – is largely in effect, the transition to Phase Two remains highly contentious.

“They’re going to be given a very short period of time to disarm, and we’ll see how that works out,” Trump told reporters. “If they don’t disarm, as they agreed to, then there’ll be hell to pay for them.” Asked to clarify what consequences Hamas might face, Trump declined to provide specifics, saying only that “it would be horrible for them” and suggesting that countries in the Middle East and beyond that support the ceasefire could move collectively to “wipe out” the group.

The blunt........

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