"We want the weapons to be given... If they don't do it, we'll do it": Trump on Hamas disarmament in Gaza

By Reena Bhardwaj

Washington, DC [US], October 16 : US President Donald Trump on Wednesday addressed the ongoing situation in Gaza, focusing on Hamas' search for the remaining deceased hostages and the broader implications of the US-brokered peace agreement.

"It's a gruesome process... They're digging and they're finding a lot of bodies. Then they have to separate the bodies," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, describing the grim task faced by the group.

He elaborated on the conditions in which some bodies were found. "Some of those bodies have been in there a long time, and some of them are under rubble. They have to remove rubble," he said. "Some are in tunnels... that are way down under the earth."

Turning to the issue of weapons, Trump stressed, "We want the weapons to be given... They've agreed to do it. Now they have to do it. If they don't do it, we'll do it."

Building on his earlier comments, Trump reinforced that Hamas must comply with the terms of the peace agreement and surrender its weapons, warning that the US would take decisive action if the group failed to do so. "They're going to disarm, because they said they were going to disarm," he said. "And if they don't disarm, we will disarm them." He added, "They know I'm not playing games."

Trump made the remarks during a bilateral lunch with Argentinian President Javier Milei at the White House, shortly after the US announced a USD 20 billion financial support package to stabilise Argentina's economy.

His statements followed his praise of the Gaza ceasefire, which he had described as "the historic dawn of a new Middle East," asserting that the forces of "chaos, terror, and ruin" had been defeated and the "long and painful nightmare" had ended not only for Israelis but also for Palestinians.

The President framed the ceasefire as the beginning of a transformative era, describing the US-brokered agreement as the start of the "Golden Age" of Israel and the Middle East. He emphasised that Hamas must adhere to its pledge to disarm or face decisive consequences, underscoring Washington's firm stance.

Addressing the Knesset, Israel's parliament, Trump said, "It was not only the End of a warit was the END of an age of terror and death," and noted that the region had endorsed the plan to demilitarise Gaza and disarm Hamas.

He described the peace deal as an unprecedented regional consensus: "This long and difficult war has ended. In an unprecedented achievement, virtually the entire region has endorsed the plan that Gaza will be demilitarised and Hamas will be disarmed, and Israel's security will not be threatened."

Trump highlighted Israel's military victories and stressed the importance of translating them into lasting peace. "Israel had won all that they could by force of arms. Now, it was time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of PEACE and PROSPERITY for the entire Middle East," he said.

He also reflected on the weakened state of hostile forces in the region, saying, "Across the Middle East, the forces of chaos, terror, and ruin that had plagued the region for decades now stood weakened... defeated. A new coalition of proud and responsible nations was emergingand because of us, the enemies of all civilisation were in retreat."

Trump emphasised that peace had finally arrived for both Israelis and Palestinians: "For so many families across this land, it had been years since they had known a single day of true peace. But now, at lastnot only for Israelis but also for Palestinians and for many othersthe long and painful nightmare was finally OVER."

Recalling the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, he noted the immense suffering they caused, killing over 1,200 Israelis and abducting 251 people. "Two years ago... thousands of innocent Israeli civilians were attacked by terrorists in one of the most evil and heinous desecrations of innocent life the world had ever seen... please know that America joined you in those two everlasting vowsNEVER FORGET, and NEVER AGAIN," he said.

Trump framed the current moment as a historic turning point: "Generations from now, this would be remembered as the moment that everything began to change... Like the USA right now, it would be the GOLDEN AGE of Israel and the Golden Age of the Middle East."

He described the ceasefire as not only ending conflict but ushering in a new era: "This was not only the End of a warit was the END of an age of terror and death, and the BEGINNING of the age of faith, hope, and of God."

Trump highlighted the return of hostages and the restoration of peace: "After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages were returning to the glorious embrace of their families... And after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, the skies were calm, the guns were silent, the sirens were still, and the sun rose on a Holy Land that was FINALLY AT PEACEa land and a region that would live, God willing, in peace for all eternity."

He also reflected on his administration's broader military record, stating, "If we went into a war, we were going to win it like nobody ever had won it before... We would not be politically correct. We had settled 8 wars in 8 months, including this one."

Trump urged productive and responsible nations in the Middle East to become allies rather than adversaries: "It was more obvious than ever that the productive and responsible nations of this region should not be enemies or adversaries; they should be partnersand eventually even friends."

He called on Palestinians to seize the opportunity to move away from conflict: "The choice for Palestinians could not have been more clear. This was their chance to turn forever from the path of terror and violence... The total focus of Gazans had to be on restoring the fundamentals... so they could finally have the better life their children deserved."

Finally, Trump urged leaders across the region to reject extremism and hatred: "It should have been clear to everyone throughout the region that decades of fomenting terrorism and extremism, jihadism and anti-Semitism, had not worked... From Gaza to Iran, those bitter hatreds had delivered nothing but misery, suffering, failure, and death."

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