Washington D.C., US – US President Donald Trump on Friday laid the blame squarely on Hamas for the breakdown of Gaza ceasefire talks, signaling his support for Israel to escalate its military campaign in the region. Speaking to reporters before departing for a weekend trip to Scotland, Trump’s comments marked a noticeable shift from his more optimistic tone regarding a potential deal just weeks prior.
“I think they want to die, and it’s very, very bad,” Trump said of Hamas. He added, “It got to be to a point where you’re gonna have to finish the job.”
This week, the Trump administration recalled its negotiators from the talks in Doha, citing concerns that Hamas was not “coordinated” or “acting in good faith.” Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, had previously stated he was exploring “alternative options” to secure the release of hostages.
Trump’s Stance on Israel and Hamas’s Incentives
When asked about his recent interactions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump described them as “sort of disappointing,” but then reaffirmed a strong stance on military action. “They’re gonna have to fight and they’re gonna have to clean it up. You’re gonna have to get rid of ’em,” he asserted.
Despite Trump’s definitive statements, officials in Egypt and Qatar, who have been mediating the talks, described the current pause as “normal in the context of these complex negotiations.” A senior Israeli official also reportedly stated that the talks had “not at all” collapsed.
Trump maintained that Hamas had little incentive to negotiate further, particularly given the dwindling number of hostages still held. “Now we’re down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages, and basically, because of that, they really didn’t want to make a deal,” he claimed.
US officials have indicated that the administration hopes Trump’s firm rhetoric and Witkoff’s withdrawal of negotiators will exert pressure on Hamas to return to the negotiating table. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce commented, “We’ve tried. The world has watched this. What the options are — clearly there are many tools in President Trump’s tool chest, many options that Special Envoy Witkoff has.”
US Aid and Global Reactions
At the White House, Trump also addressed criticisms regarding US aid to Gaza. “People don’t know this, and we didn’t certainly get any acknowledgement or thank you, but we contributed $60 million to food and supplies and everything else. We hope the money gets there, because you know, that money gets taken. The food gets taken. We’re going to do more, but we gave a lot of money,” he stated. However, an internal US review, according to CNN, found no evidence of widespread theft of US-funded aid by Hamas in Gaza.
Trump’s comments come as global leaders continue to react to the ongoing conflict. He is scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland over the weekend. On Friday, Starmer publicly called Israel’s military escalation in Gaza “indefensible.”
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron drew significant global attention by announcing that France would recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. Trump dismissed Macron’s move, telling reporters, “The statement doesn’t carry any weight. He’s a very good guy. I like him. But that statement doesn’t carry weight.”