U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that Hamas would face “complete obliteration” if it insists on retaining power in Gaza, as the American leader is pushing a plan to end two years of fighting between the Palestinian terrorist group and Israel.
In an exchange via text messages with CNN's Jake Tapper, Trump said that if Hamas “insists on staying in power,” the group would face "Complete Obliteration!"
He also contended that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on board with ending bombardment in Gaza and tied the timing of a lasting pause to Hamas’ response to the proposed U.S. peace plan.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the war in Gaza has “not yet” ended, characterizing the planned release of hostages as only the first phase of a larger process.
He said Hamas had “basically” agreed in principle to President Trump’s framework for releasing the captives and that U.S. officials are engaged in technical talks to coordinate the logistics.
Rubio added that the United States would “know very quickly” whether Hamas is sincere in its commitment during these talks.
He described Israel’s initial concession — a pullback to the “yellow line,” where Israeli forces stood in mid‑August — as the key step in the hostage exchange.
Looking ahead, Rubio said the second phase — reshaping Gaza’s governance and dismantling militant capabilities — would be far more difficult. He posed unanswered questions: How would a non‑Hamas Palestinian technocratic leadership emerge? How would militant groups be disarmed? How would peace be sustained?