Hand Over Weapons Or We Will Do It, Trump Warns Hamas; Hails Gaza Ceasefire | World News

Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump warned Hamas on Wednesday to surrender its weapons immediately. He mentioned that finding hostages and bodies in Gaza was a difficult task and said Washington would take action if the militant group did not comply.

“It’s a terrible process… They dig and find a lot of bodies. Then they have to separate the bodies,” he told reporters.

He detailed the conditions in which some of the hostages were found. “Some of these bodies have been there for a long time, some are under rubble. They have to remove the rubble. Some of them are in tunnels… they are deep underground,” he said.

He clearly stated his stance on weapons. “We want the weapons to be given… They agreed to do this. Now they have to do it. If they don’t do it, we will do it.”

Trump reinforced Hamas’ obligation to abide by the peace agreement. “They will disarm because they said they will disarm,” he warned, adding, “If they do not disarm, we will disarm them. They know I am not playing games.”

The comments came during a bilateral lunch at the White House with Argentine President Javier Milei, shortly after the United States announced a $20 billion support package for Argentina’s economy.

Trump called the Gaza ceasefire the “historic dawn of a new Middle East.” He described the forces of “chaos, terror and ruin” as defeated and declared that the “long and painful nightmare” was over for Israelis and Palestinians.

Speaking to Israel’s Knesset, he said, “It was not only the end of a war, it was the end of an age of terror and death.”

He underlined regional consensus on the demilitarization of Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas.

“This long and difficult war is over. In an unprecedented success, almost the entire region approved the plan to demilitarize Gaza, disarm Hamas and ensure that Israel’s security will not be threatened,” he said.

Trump praised Israel’s “victories” on the battlefield and linked them to lasting peace. “Israel had won all it could by force of arms. Now it was time to turn these victories over terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East,” he said.

He thought about the weakened state of the enemy forces. “In the Middle East, the forces of chaos, terror and destruction that had haunted the region for decades were now weakened… defeated. A new coalition of proud and responsible nations was emerging, and the enemies of all civilizations were retreating because of us,” he said.

Trump said the ceasefire was a turning point for families in the region. “It had been years since we had seen a single day of true peace for so many families in this land. But now, at last, the long and painful nightmare is finally over, not only for Israelis but also for Palestinians and many others,” he said.

He described Hamas’ attacks on October 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 251 people. “Two years ago…thousands of innocent Israeli civilians were attacked by terrorists in one of the worst and most heinous desecrations of innocent life the world has ever seen…please know that America joins you in these two eternal vows, never forget and never again,” he said.

Trump called this moment historic. “The generations that follow will be remembered as the moment when everything started to change… It would be the golden age of Israel and the Middle East, just like the United States right now.”

He stated that the ceasefire was the beginning of a new era. “This was not just the end of war, it was the end of the age of terror and death, the beginning of the age of faith, hope and God,” he said.

He highlighted the returning hostages. “After two heartbreaking years in darkness and captivity, 20 brave hostages were returning to the glorious embrace of their families… And after so many years of incessant war and endless dangers, the sky was calm, the guns were silent, the sirens were silent, and the sun rose at last in the peaceful holy land, in a land and region that will live in peace forever, God willing.”

Trump also touched on his administration’s military record. “If we had gone to war, we would have won it in a way no one had ever won before… We would not be politically correct. We concluded 8 wars, including this one, in 8 months.”

He called on responsible countries to establish partnerships. “It was clearer than ever that the productive and responsible nations of this region should not be enemies or foes, but should be partners, even friends,” he said.

He called on Palestinians to embrace peace. “The Palestinians’ choice couldn’t have been clearer. This was their chance to turn from the path of terror and violence once and for all… Gazans’ entire focus should have been on restoring the foundations… so they can finally have the better life their children deserve,” the president said.

Trump concluded with a warning to extremists: “It should have been clear to everyone in the region that decades of fueling terrorism and extremism, jihadism and anti-Semitism, have not worked… From Gaza to Iran, these bitter hatreds have brought nothing but misery, pain, failure and death.”