'They want to die': Donald Trump blames Hamas for Gaza ceasefire collapse, asks Israel to ‘finish the job'
In a statement before leaving for a weekend trip to Scotland, Trump said, 'It got to be to a point where you're gonna have to finish the job.'
The US president argued that the Palestinian militant group was not ready to hand over the remaining captives in Gaza because "they know what happens after you get the final hostages".
'And, basically, because of this, they didn't really wanna make a deal. So, they pulled out [of the negotiations],' Trump said.
Trump's statement came after the US and Israeli negotiators quit indirect talks with Hamas in Qatar, citing concerns that Hamas was not "coordinated" or "acting in good faith."
Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy, had then said he was exploring "alternative options" to secure the release of hostages.
Trump's comments on Friday marked a clear shift from just weeks ago when Trump appeared confident a deal was close that would end the conflict, release remaining hostages, and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, CNN noted.
When asked about his recent interactions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said only that they were "sort of disappointing." He added, "They're gonna have to fight and they're gonna have to clean it up. You're gonna have to get rid of 'em."
While Trump placed blame squarely on Hamas, officials in Egypt and Qatar described the current pause in talks as "normal in the context of these complex negotiations." An Israeli official also said the talks had "not at all" collapsed.
Meanwhile, -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling "alternative" options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the enclave, where starvation is spreading and most of the population is homeless amid widespread ruin.
(With inputs from ANI, agencies)
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