Donald Trump has warned Hamas to “behave or be eradicated”, after US envoys flew to the Middle East to salvage a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
The US president’s stark warning came after a series of killings in the Gaza Strip threatened to derail the peace process that saw the 20 remaining living hostages finally freed last week. The Israeli military confirmed that another dead captive had been received after it was handed over by Hamas on Monday evening, via the Red Cross.
The body has not been identified, but this one and the remaining 15 hostages and captives were all men. They included civilians, soldiers and police.
Mr Trump said on Monday, Hamas is “going to behave” or else it will face severe repercussions, during a meeting with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese. “They’re going to be nice, and if they’re not, we’re going to go and we’re going to eradicate them,” the president said.
“Hamas has been very violent, but they don’t have the backing of Iran any more. They don’t have the backing of really anybody any more. They have to be good, and if they’re not good, they’ll be eradicated.”
Israel killed 45 and injured 158 in the past 24 hours, Gaza’s authorities say, with 97 people in the strip killed since Mr Trump’s ceasefire came into effect just over a week ago.
The Israeli military said it fired at “terrorists” who crossed an invisible “yellow line” in Rafah on Sunday, which marked a withdrawal point for Israeli troops who remain occupying 53 per cent of the Gaza Strip. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in the exchange, with Israel temporarily cutting off aid in response.
Hamas said it had no knowledge of individuals operating in the Rafah region and had not been in touch with groups there since March.
Amid fears the peace will not last, US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, landed in Tel Aviv Monday to work on the second phase of a 20-point ceasefire agreement.
The pair met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss “developments and updates in the region”, having played a leading role in the first phase of negotiations.
Vice president JD Vance, and his wife Usha, are expected to land on Tuesday to continue discussions.
Palestinians say that those killed in Israeli strikes include people who have been travelling to check on their homes, including a veterinarian and social media personality Dr Moath Abu Rukbah. They say they have been left confused at the placement of the “line”, when much of the region has been left in rubble.
“The whole area is in ruins,” Samir, 50, who lives in Tuffah, told Reuters. “We saw the maps, but we can’t tell where those lines are.”
Israeli forces began the process of placing down yellow concrete blocks to demarcate the area using bulldozers following a directive from the country’s defence minister Israel Katz, the Israeli Ministry of Defence said on Monday. It said it will kill anyone who crosses the line, without warning.
Hamas, Mr Trump and Israel reaffirmed their commitment to a ceasefire in the aftermath of the violent outbreak. Israel said aid continued to enter the Strip on Monday.
Meanwhile, mediators have stepped up diplomatic talks as Egypt hosted discussions with Hamas’ leader Khalil Al-Hayya in Cairo on Monday.
The militant group has alleged that Israel has committed 47 violations of the ceasefire agreement, with the Government Media Office outlining examples including: “crimes of direct gunfire at civilians, deliberate bombardment and targeting, the execution of ‘fire belts,’ and the arrest of a number of civilian citizens”.
On their experience of brokering a deal with warring factions, Mr Kushner pointed to his and Mr Witkoff’s “deep relationships” in the region, which he said were strong “throughout the world”.
“What people call conflicts of interests, Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships that we have throughout the world,” he said. “If Steve and I didn’t have these deep relationships, the deal we were able to get done, that freed these hostages would not have occurred.
“We have trusted relationships in the Arab world and even in Israel, where we’ve both done business in the past. But that means they trust us.
“We understand their cultures. We understand how they work. And we’re able to use that knowledge and skill set to try to do things that advance the world.”
Over 68,216 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October 2023, including nearly 20,000 children, according to Palestinian authorities. The UN concluded that Israel is committing a genocide after a two-year investigation, which Israel has called “false” and “distorted”.
Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner have rejected the genocide claims and reaffirmed the US’s commitment to the return of the bodies of all remaining hostages.
