Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In the wake of a landmark ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, President Donald Trump declared that Hamas “will disarm or we will disarm them,” marking one of his most forceful public stances on the conflict to date. However, despite the strong rhetoric, Trump offered few specifics about how disarmament would be enforced or what the long-term future holds for the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump was pressed on the timeline and strategy for ensuring Hamas’ disarmament, a key provision of the first phase of his 20-point Middle East peace plan. When asked whether he could guarantee that Hamas would lay down its arms, Trump insisted, “They’re going to disarm because they said they would. And if they don’t, we will disarm them.”
Pressed for details on how the U.S. would carry out such a plan, Trump declined to elaborate. “I don’t have to explain that to you,” he said. “But they know I’m not playing games. If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them and it’ll happen quickly and perhaps violently. But they will disarm.”
Trump said Hamas had a “reasonable period of time” to comply, but did not specify an exact deadline.
The remarks came a day after an emotional and politically charged 12-hour visit to the Middle East, where Trump participated in the ceremonial launch of the ceasefire agreement alongside leaders from more than 20 nations in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. There, Trump and key mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey signed a memorandum supporting the peace framework, which aims to end two years of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The document, however, lacked concrete steps or enforcement mechanisms, instead offering general commitments to promote “a comprehensive vision of peace, security, and shared prosperity.” Notably absent from the signing were representatives from Israel and Hamas themselves a reminder of the tenuous and unresolved nature of the truce.
Still, Monday’s developments included significant diplomatic achievements. Twenty Israeli hostages were released and reunited with their families, while dozens of Palestinian prisoners were freed and returned to Gaza emotional scenes that marked a breakthrough in negotiations that had stalled for months. Trump called the moment a “new dawn” for the region.
Yet the fragility of the ceasefire was quickly laid bare. Israeli officials accused Hamas of violating the agreement by failing to return the remains of four deceased hostages, prompting Israel to announce a cut in humanitarian aid to Gaza, halving the number of supply trucks permitted into the enclave. The United Nations confirmed the reduction, expressing concern about the potential humanitarian consequences.
Asked whether Hamas would uphold its end of the agreement, Trump gave a measured response: “We’ll find out.” He later accused Hamas of having “misrepresented” the number of hostages killed in captivity, calling the issue of their remains “a very tough subject.” “I want them back. That’s what they said. I want them back,” Trump emphasized.
Trump’s peace plan, unveiled earlier this year, outlines a multi-phase approach to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But much of its content remains vague, and critical components including disarmament, governance of Gaza, and the status of Palestinian statehood have yet to be resolved.
On the flight back to Washington aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked whether he supported a one-state or two-state solution. “We’re going to have to see,” he replied. “Some people like one, some people like the other. At some point, I’ll decide what I think is right, in coordination with others.”
Trump also hinted at the economic aspects of the plan, emphasizing the financial capacity of the countries involved in the summit. “There’s a lot of power in that room,” he said. “Really seriously rich countries, and they can handle it.”
The UN estimates the reconstruction of Gaza will cost upwards of $70 billion a staggering figure reflecting the scale of devastation after two years of conflict. But when asked about specific plans for Gaza’s recovery and political future, Trump again demurred, saying those matters would be addressed in later phases of negotiations.
For now, Trump’s administration is focusing on maintaining the fragile truce and beginning the slow, complex process of rebuilding. Whether Hamas will follow through on the disarmament pledge and whether Trump has the tools or support to enforce it remains to be seen.
The road ahead is uncertain, but Monday’s ceasefire has brought at least a temporary halt to the violence. What comes next may depend as much on diplomacy as it does on the credibility of Trump’s threat: disarm, or be disarmed.
