US President Donald Trump has issued a strong warning to Hamas, threatening to forcibly disarm the group if it does not lay down its weapons in the Gaza Strip. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday Trump said if Hamas failed to surrender its arms within a reasonable period of time the US was prepared to intervene directly. He did not specify a deadline for compliance.
The comments come amid growing reports of Hamas taking public action to reassert its authority in Gaza. Since the US-brokered ceasefire began last week, footage has circulated online showing public executions and armed patrols by Hamas fighters, including a widely verified video of a mass execution in central Gaza City. This surge in violence appears to target those accused of the collaborating with Israel as well as rival armed clans that have challenged Hamas’s dominance in the area over the past two years.
Analysts point out that the internal clashes, including recent violence with the Dughmush clan, reflect longstanding tensions and are partly fueled by rival smuggling operations and competition for local control. Recent confrontations left over 50 people dead, including members of both Hamas and local clans. Israel has previously supplied weapons to rival groups in the Strip as part of its broader security strategy.
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