US President Donald Trump on Friday called on Israel to increase its military operations in Gaza after the latter's refusal of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. Trump condemned the militant group for intentionally sabotaging peace and indicated that additional diplomatic initiatives might be a waste of time.
"Hamas did not want to make a deal. I believe they want to die," Trump said bluntly before embarking on a visit to Scotland. "It's very, very bad. It became to a point where you had to complete the task."
The remarks from Trump occurred a day after his administration's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, declared a halt in U.S. participation in ceasefire talks. Witkoff suggested that Washington would review its strategy as frustration mounted.
Former President Shimon Peres, personally involved in the release of Edan Alexander, the last U.S.-Israeli citizen to be held by Hamas, said the refusal to negotiate during the last stage of negotiations confirmed the group's commitment to violence.
Now we're down to the last hostages, and they know what comes next after you receive the last hostages," Trump clarified. "Essentially because of that, they actually did not want to make a deal.
As Gaza's humanitarian crisis worsened by the hour, Trump questioned the usefulness of continued diplomacy. "They'll have to fight and clean it up," he declared, backing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ongoing military campaign. "They (Hamas) will be hunted down.
Netanyahu, in agreement with Trump's position, indicated Israel was pursuing "alternative" methods to release hostages and disband Hamas's control over Gaza. Attributing blame on Hamas for the stalemate, he praised Witkoff's description of the group's position.
Conversely, senior Hamas official Basem Naim wrote on Facebook that recent talks have been "constructive," blaming Witkoff for making politically driven statements meant to favor Israel. "What we have offered – with complete knowledge and comprehension of the intricacy of the issue – we think can result in an agreement if the enemy was willing to achieve one," Naim said.
Mediators Qatar and Egypt said there was modest progress in the most recent negotiations and insisted that the latest break was routine. Both countries reaffirmed they remained committed to continuing to work with the U.S. towards a ceasefire.
Humanitarian Collapse Deepens
While this is happening, the humanitarian disaster in Gaza deepens. Aid organizations say food and medicine are all but depleted for the 2.2 million people living in the enclave. Israel's blockade, more strangled in March and partially eased only in May, has Gaza on the threshold of famine.
Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of Hamas-governed Gaza's media office, denounced foreign airdrops as theatrical over substantial. "The Gaza Strip does not require aerobatics in the air," he stated. "It requires an open humanitarian passage and a daily trickle of aid trucks to salvage what is left of the lives of surrounded, hungry civilians.
In the space of a day alone, nine more people died from starvation, contributing to a mounting total including dozens who have died from malnutrition in the last few weeks.
The United Nations confirmed on Friday that emergency supplies of therapeutic food, which are vital for children with severe acute malnutrition, are all but exhausted. Israeli restrictions are blamed by UN officials for hindering relief efforts.
Israel, though, insists that it has allowed sufficient aid to flow into Gaza and blamed the UN for misusing funds. In a statement, the Israeli foreign ministry stated, "This is a deliberate ploy to defame Israel."
UN officials countered by insisting that Israel must prove its claims that certain UN employees are associated with Hamas. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher, in a letter leaked to Reuters, asked the Israeli authorities to provide evidence to back up their assertions.
Conflict Rages Unabated
As diplomatic efforts stall and humanitarian situations deteriorate, the fighting refuses to subside. On Friday, 21 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire, with five among them at a school in Gaza City that housed displaced families, Palestinian officials said.
Among the dead was reporter Adam Abu Harbid. His body, covered in a blue "PRESS" flak jacket, was carried through streets as fellow journalists and civilians grieved for the loss.
The ongoing conflict has its origins in October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants raided Israeli border towns with a vicious attack, killing around 1,200 individuals and taking 251 hostage. Ever since, the Gaza Health Ministry indicates that almost 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks and military campaigns, with most of the coastal land now in shambles.
