US President Donald Trump did not hold back on Tuesday when he described Hamas as “bullies,” criticising the group for delaying the release of hostages in Gaza.
“They want to play tough guy, but we’ll see how tough they are,” Trump told reporters at a White House news conference.
“You know what a bully is, right? I’ve found it true all my life. A bully is the weakest person — and they’re bullies. Hamas is bullies,” he added. “The weakest people are bullies. You know that, right?”
Trump also reiterated his stance on Truth Social, posting, “A BULLY IS THE WEAKEST PERSON,” along with a Fox News clip of his remarks.
Ceasefire under threat
Trump’s comments came after Hamas accused Israel of failing to uphold the ceasefire terms, including allowing adequate humanitarian aid into Gaza. In response, the group threatened to halt the release of more hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that if Hamas does not release more hostages by the weekend, Israel would withdraw from the ceasefire agreement and resume military action.
Trump doubled down on Netanyahu’s warning, stating that if all hostages are not released by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire would be meaningless.
“If they’re not here, all hell is going to break out,” he said.
However, hostages’ families from both Israel and Palestine have urged for the ceasefire to continue, fearing that continued fighting would lead to further loss of life.
‘Nothing to buy in Gaza’
Meanwhile, during a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah at the White House, Trump dismissed the idea of the US having to “buy” Gaza.
“There is nothing to buy there. It’s a war-torn area which the US can just have without buying it,” he said.
He added that rebuilding Gaza would create “a lot of jobs” for people in the Middle East.
