WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Hamas will face “complete obliteration” if the Palestinian group refuses to give up power and control of Gaza as he seeks to implement his Gaza peace plan to end conflict in the territory.
When asked if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on board with ending the bombing in Gaza and supporting the United States’ broader vision, Trump told CNN on Saturday, “Yes on Bibi.”
In the interview that aired on Sunday, Trump added that he expects to soon know whether Hamas is committed to peace.
Read more: Hamas ‘very keen’ to reach deal as talks begin in Sharm el-Sheikh
The comments came despite the fact that a Hamas official said the group “is very keen to reach an agreement to end the war and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process in accordance with the field conditions.”
Also on Sunday, Pakistan and seven other Muslim states “welcomed the steps taken by Hamas” and “reiterated their joint commitment to support efforts towards the implementation” of the Gaza peace plan.
Read more: Eight Muslim nations welcome Hamas response to Gaza plan
Separately, On the other hand, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday he hopes a deal between Israel and Hamas can be finalised early this week to allow the release of hostages from Gaza.
“All those talks are occurring, even as I speak to you now, we’re hoping it will be finalised very quickly, early this week,” Rubio told ABC.
WAR NOT OVER YET
“And I’m hoping, you know again, who knows the timeline? But this cannot take weeks or even multiple days. We want to see this happen very fast.”
However, Rubio said the war in Gaza has not yet ended despite Israel and Hamas both agreeing to parts of President Donald Trump’s plan for the strip.
“We will know very quickly whether Hamas is serious or not by how these technical talks go in terms of the logistics,” Rubio told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” about the release of hostages from Gaza.
It’s a developing story. Details to follow.