Trump tells Israel to 'finish the job' against Hamas after Gaza ceasefire talks break down

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Friday called for Israel to ramp up its military action in Gaza, declaring that Hamas showed no intention of negotiating and pushing for a stronger response.

His comments followed the United States' decision to pull back from peace talks.

Donald Trump tells Gaza to 'finish the job' as Hamas refuses deal

The White House shift came after Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said the US would reassess its strategy regarding hostages and the Gaza crisis.

Trump told reporters that Hamas appeared unwilling to engage seriously in talks and accused the group of being driven by a death wish.

“Hamas really didn’t want to make a deal. I think they want to die,” Trump said before departing for a trip to Scotland. “It’s very, very bad. It got to be to a point where you have to finish the job.”

He also said the remaining hostages were a key reason behind the stalled negotiations. “Now we’re down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages,” Trump added. “Basically because of that, they really didn’t want to make a deal.”

Steve Witkoff suggests 'alternative', Benjamin Netanyahu agrees

Steve Witkoff, who has been leading the US effort in the region, confirmed a strategic shift.

“We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed that stance on Friday. “Witkoff got it right. Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal,” he wrote on X. “Together with our US allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas's terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region.”

Trump also voiced strong support for Netanyahu’s military actions. “They’ll have to fight and clean it up,” he said. “They (Hamas) will be hunted down.”

Hamas denies collapse of talks as Gaza faces mass starvation 

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim pushed back against Witkoff's "negative" statement that "completely contradicts the last round of negotiations," on Facebook.

Izzat Al-Rishq, member of Hamas Movement’s Political Bureau, said in a statement, "We are appalled by the statements of US President Trump and earlier by US special envoy Witkoff, which contradict the mediators' assessment of Hamas' position."

Al-Rishq went on to claim that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was "the real obstructionist to all agreements."

Other members have also responded to Trump's and Witkoff's statements. 

A senior Hamas official also told the BBC that mediators said negotiations had not collapsed, while an Israeli official in Doha told Israeli reporters there had been “no explosion, no collapse,” according to the Times of Israel.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 122 Palestinians, including 83 children, have now died from famine and malnutrition.

UNRWA referred to the disaster as “a constructed and deliberate mass starvation,” and described the GHF aid distribution system as “flawed and not designed to address the humanitarian crisis.”

“It needs an open humanitarian corridor and a steady daily flow of aid trucks to save what remains of the lives of besieged, starving civilians,” Ismail Al-Thawabta, head of the Hamas-run Gaza media office, told Reuters. 

“The Gaza Strip does not need flying aerobatics,” he added, dismissing recent airdrops by Israel and other countries.