US President Donald Trump on Monday said Hamas has been given a “very short period of time” to disarm, warning that failure to comply would invite severe consequences. Trump made the remarks while appearing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint press conference in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
The comments came as Netanyahu announced that Trump would be awarded Israel’s highest civilian honour, the Israel Prize, an unprecedented move, citing the US President’s “tremendous contributions” to Israel and regional security.
What Trump said on Hamas disarmament
- Trump said Hamas had agreed to disarm and would be given only a short window to follow through.
- He warned that failure to do so would trigger action, not only from Israel but from other countries backing the peace framework. “If they don’t disarm, as they agreed to do, they agreed to it, then they’ll be held to pay for them,” he said. “They have to disarm within a fairly short period of time.”
- Trump said US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential advisor Jared Kushner would oversee the process from the American side.
- He stressed that the issue of Israeli troop withdrawal would not be linked to Hamas disarmament. “Well, that’s a separate subject. We’ll talk about that,” he said.
- Trump said Israel had fully complied with the existing peace plan and dismissed suggestions of delays. “I’m not concerned about anything that Israel is doing,” he said, adding: “They’ve lived up to the plan 100 per cent.”
Warning of wider international action
- Trump said as many as 59 countries were aligned behind the peace effort.
- He warned that if Hamas reneged on its commitment, those countries could act independently of Israel. “If they say they’re not going to disarm, those same countries will wipe out Hamas…They don’t even need Israel,” Trump said.
- While issuing the warning, Trump said he still hoped Hamas would comply peacefully.
Trump links peace push to Iran policy
- Trump said the broader Middle East peace effort was made possible by US action against Iran.
- He warned that any renewed Iranian military buildup would be met with a swift response.
Netanyahu backs Trump, calls him Israel’s strongest ally
- Netanyahu praised Trump as Israel’s closest ally, calling their cooperation “a partnership second to none”.
- He credited Trump’s leadership with helping Israel survive recent conflicts and secure regional agreements.
Israel Prize announced for Trump
- Netanyahu announced that Trump would receive the Israel Prize, traditionally awarded only to Israeli citizens.
- The award will be formally presented on Israel’s Independence Day.
- Netanyahu said the decision reflected broad public sentiment in Israel across the political spectrum.
Trump reacts to the honour
- Trump described the award as a “great honour” and thanked Netanyahu for their personal friendship.
- He called Netanyahu a “wartime prime minister” and said Israel might not have survived recent crises under different leadership.
Why this matters now
- Hamas has controlled Gaza since 2007 and is designated a terrorist organisation by the United States.
- Past ceasefire efforts have repeatedly collapsed over disarmament and security guarantees.
- The announcement signals a harder line on militant groups even as diplomatic efforts expand across the region.