Trump Gives Hamas “Short Deadline” to Disarm, Warns of Severe Consequences

Washington, Dec 2025 : US President Donald Trump on Monday issued a stern warning to Hamas, giving the group a “very short period of time” to disarm and threatening severe consequences if it fails to comply. Trump made the remarks at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, underscoring the US commitment to a broader Middle East peace framework.

Trump said that Hamas had already committed to disarmament and that the United States would closely monitor the process. “Well, we talked about Hamas and we talked about disarmament, and they’re going to be given a very short period of time to disarm,” Trump said. “And we’ll see how that works out.”

The President highlighted that US special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, along with special presidential advisor Jared Kushner, would oversee the disarmament process. “If they don’t disarm, as they agreed to do—they agreed to it—then they’ll be held to pay for them,” Trump emphasized. “They have to disarm within a fairly short period of time.”

When asked whether Israel would withdraw its forces before Hamas completes disarmament, Trump avoided directly linking the two issues. “Well, that’s a separate subject. We’ll talk about that,” he said.

Trump also praised Israel for fully complying with the current peace framework, dismissing suggestions that it was delaying implementation of subsequent stages. “I’m not concerned about anything that Israel is doing. They’ve lived up to the plan 100 percent,” he said.

The US President warned that failure by Hamas to honor its pledge would not only trigger Israeli action but would also mobilize other nations involved in the agreement. “If they say they’re not going to disarm, those same countries will wipe out Hamas. They don’t even need Israel,” Trump said. He noted that 59 countries are aligned behind the peace effort. “We have 59 countries that signed on, big countries. This is a real peace in the Middle East, and Hamas is a small part of it, but it’s still a part of it.”

Netanyahu fully backed Trump’s position, describing him as Israel’s closest ally. “We’ve never had a friend—even close, a friend—as President Trump in the White House,” Netanyahu said, calling their cooperation “a partnership second to none.”

Trump linked the broader peace effort to US actions against Iran. “Don’t forget, we made the plan possible by taking out Iran,” he said, warning that any renewed Iranian activity would be met with swift retaliation. “If they are trying to build up again… we’re going to have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup.”

Despite the warnings, Trump stressed that he preferred a peaceful outcome. “I don’t want that to happen,” he said regarding possible military action. “But they made an agreement.”

Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007 and is designated a terrorist organization by the United States. Previous ceasefire attempts have repeatedly collapsed due to disputes over disarmament and security guarantees.

The Trump administration has promoted a regional peace framework that includes Arab states and Israel, arguing that militant groups must be dismantled to ensure long-term stability in the Middle East. This latest announcement reiterates US resolve to enforce disarmament commitments while maintaining diplomatic engagement with regional partners.