Trump warns Hamas of “hell to pay” as Gaza peace plan stalls

US President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Monday, delivering key messages regarding the Middle East.

During the press conference, Trump threatened to launch new strikes against Iran if it is determined that the country is rebuilding its nuclear program.

The President also addressed the situation in Gaza, where a US-brokered ceasefire has largely been in effect since October. He stated that Hamas has a “very short period of time to disarm,” warning that they will otherwise face “hell to pay.”

Implementation of the US peace plan for Gaza has stalled, and tensions with Iran appear to be escalating.

Trump claimed that after the US briefly joined Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June, Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was “destroyed,” after which he declared the conflict over.

“Now I hear that Iran is trying to regain strength, and if that is the case, we must knock them down… We will level them. Iran may be behaving badly. This has not been confirmed yet. But if it is confirmed… the consequences will be very severe,” Trump said.

Israel alleges that Iran is rapidly rebuilding its ballistic missile arsenal.

Netanyahu also suggested that the Trump administration’s efforts to implement the next phase of the Gaza plan are unrealistic, given Hamas’s refusal to disarm.

Trump’s plan has faced setbacks regarding issues such as the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international security force, and the future governance of Gaza.

US yet officials insist that “Phase 2” of Trump’s 20-point plan will begin in January. This phase is expected to include the announcement of an international “Board of Peace,” an executive committee to oversee the Gaza Strip, a committee of Palestinian technocrats for daily administration, and the deployment of a multinational peacekeeping force.

Under the plan, Israeli troops, who currently hold approximately half of Gaza, would gradually withdraw as the multinational force enters the Gaza Strip to monitor the disarmament of Hamas and the transition to post-war reconstruction.

Prior to the meeting, Israeli officials were concerned that Trump might pressure Netanyahu to agree to further troop withdrawals. However, after the two leaders emerged from the meeting, Trump declined to discuss an Israeli withdrawal and stated that Hamas was not complying with the agreement.

When asked about the pace of implementation, Trump said, “I’m not concerned about anything Israel is doing. They are fulfilling the plan.”

Israeli officials have rejected the possibility of international or Palestinian security forces taking over the disarmament of Hamas. On Monday, Trump stated that other countries would “come and do it” and emphasized that dozens of governments support the 20-point peace plan; however, no country has yet committed to sending troops to Gaza.

Trump said that he and the Israeli leader spoke at length about the occupied West Bank, where the US opposes the rapid expansion of Jewish settlements.

“I wouldn’t say we agree 100% on the West Bank, but we will come to a conclusion on the West Bank,” Trump said, adding that Netanyahu would “do the right thing.”

Trump also asked Netanyahu to “get along” with Syria and its new President, Ahmed Shara, who Trump said is “working very hard to do a good job.”

“I respect Syria’s new President; he is a strong person. That is what Syria needs right now. I hope Israel gets along with him,” Trump said.

Noting that Shara has done a very good job in Syria so far and has taken significant steps in the fight against ISIS, the US leader expressed his trust in Shara during this process.

Trump noted that he would do his best to ensure Israel gets along with Syria, stating, “Bibi and I have a common understanding regarding Syria.”

When asked about a potential conflict between Israel and Türkiye, Trump spoke of President Erdoğan: “I know President Erdoğan very well and, as you all know, he is a very good friend. I respect him and Bibi respects him, and they won’t have a problem. You’ve seen me do things with Erdoğan and Türkiye that nobody else could do. We won’t have a problem.”

Reiterating the claim that Erdoğan deserves the lion’s share of credit for the fall of the Bashar al-Assad administration, Trump suggested that Netanyahu shares this view. “You know, they’ve wanted to do this in Syria for a thousand years—even if the names change, for a thousand years. President Erdoğan did it. We give him great credit; I personally give him very great credit. But I think things will work out between Syria and Israel,” he claimed.

The US President stated he was “with Erdoğan all the way and with Bibi all the way,” adding, “Nothing is going to happen.”

Trump further stated, “You know, Erdoğan is a good friend of mine. I respect him. Bibi also respects him, and there won’t be a problem between them. There won’t be a problem.”

Regarding the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye, Trump said, “We are thinking about that very seriously,” and added that Ankara had “promised” not to use the aircraft against Tel Aviv.