On Monday, October 20, 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a strong message to Hamas: the militant group faces complete ‘eradication’ if it fails to uphold the recently brokered Gaza agreement with Israel. Despite the severe warning, Trump indicated that Hamas would be given an opportunity to honor the ceasefire.
Following Trump’s remarks, U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance traveled to Israel. His visit, alongside two senior U.S. envoys, came amidst weekend violence that cast a shadow over the delicate ceasefire, threatening its collapse.
Addressing reporters at the White House during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Trump stated, “We made a deal with Hamas that they’re going to be very good, they’re going to behave, they’re going to be nice.”
He continued, “And if they’re not, we’re going to go and we’re going to eradicate them, if we have to. They’ll be eradicated, and they know that.”
The Gaza deal, facilitated by Trump almost two weeks prior, has faced repeated threats. Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the return of deceased hostages and initiating new attacks.
Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s chief negotiator, affirmed the group’s continued commitment to the ceasefire in an interview with Egypt’s Al-Qahera News.
“We are finding it extremely difficult to extract the bodies, but we are serious and working hard to extract them,” al-Hayya stated in comments aired on Tuesday morning.
He added, “The Gaza agreement will hold, because we want it to and our will to abide by it is strong.”
Trump had previously cautioned Hamas against carrying out public executions of alleged rivals and collaborators as the group endeavors to consolidate control over the ravaged territory.
However, Trump reiterated that American forces would not be directly involved in operations against Hamas. He noted that numerous countries, having agreed to form an international stabilization force for Gaza, would be eager to intervene.
“In addition, Israel would go in in two minutes, if I asked them to go in,” Trump further remarked.
He explained, “But right now, we haven’t said that. We’re going to give it a little chance, and hopefully there will be a little less violence. But right now, you know, they’re violent people.”
He warned, “They got very rambunctious, and they did things that they shouldn’t be doing, and if they keep doing it, then we’re going to go in and straighten it out, and it’ll happen very quickly and pretty violently.”
Trump suggested that Hamas’s strength has significantly diminished, particularly because its regional supporter, Iran, is now improbable to intervene on its behalf after U.S. and Israeli strikes earlier this year.
“They don’t have the backing of really anybody anymore. They have to be good, and if they’re not good, they’ll be eradicated,” Trump emphasized.
On Monday, October 20, 2025, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner, met with Israeli Prime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s office stated that their discussion centered on “developments and updates in the region.”
Vice-President Vance and his wife Usha subsequently departed Washington for Israel, making no comments to the press. The Prime Minister’s office also confirmed that they were scheduled to meet with Netanyahu.