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<\/a><\/p>\nPresident Donald Trump is seen in an Oval Office address on June 4, 2025. (Screenshot)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cHamas didn\u2019t really want to make a deal,\u201d Trump told reporters at the White House Friday. \u201cI think they want to die, and it\u2019s very, very bad, and it got to a point where they\u2019re going to have to finish the job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s comments come one day after Israel and the United States withdrew their delegations from ceasefire talks in Qatar, hours after Hamas submitted its response to a truce proposal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,\u201d U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said in a statement. \u201cWe will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a post on X Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Witkoff \u201cgot it right,\u201d adding that \u201cHamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTogether with our U.S. allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas\u2019s terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region,\u201d the post continued.<\/p>\n
When asked by reporters what the \u201calternative methods\u201d were to bring the hostages home, Trump replied, \u201cI\u2019ve always said those last 10 or 20 are going to be the toughest, because Hamas knows what happens when they don\u2019t have any bargaining chip.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201cI don\u2019t think Hamas is going to make a deal, because that means they have no protection, and basically, that\u2019s what happened. I think what\u2019s going to happen is they\u2019re going to be hunted down.\u201d<\/p>\n
The breakdown of negotiation efforts with Hamas comes amid widening international calls for relief in Gaza, where reports of starvation and killings of civilians seeking aid have drawn widespread outcry.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France plans to recognize a Palestinian state during his appearance at the United Nations\u2019 General Assembly in September.<\/p>\n
Responding to reporter\u2019s questions about Macron\u2019s announcement, Trump brushed them off, replying that \u201cthe statement doesn\u2019t carry any weight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump also addressed questions from reporters about speaking to Netanyahu about allowing aid drops in Gaza from Arab countries, telling them that his conversation with Netanyahu about the potential for aid was \u201csort of disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Friday afternoon, Israel said it would begin to allow airdrops of a limited amount of aid by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The drops will begin next week and are not seen as likely to play a major role in mitigating the hunger crisis.<\/p>\n