Trump warns Hamas of ‘complete obliteration’ if it stays in power

In an interview with CNN, the US president, Donald Trump, said Hamas will face “complete obliteration” if the Palestinian militant group refuses to give up power and control of Gaza.

When asked if his ally Benjamin Netanyahu is on board with ending the bombing in Gaza, 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.

Trump’s plan requires Hamas to return all 48 hostages – about 20 of them thought by Israel to still be alive – give up power and disarm in return for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and an end to Israel’s assault.

However, the proposal, which has been accepted by Netanyahu, sets no path to Palestinian statehood.

Hamas only agreed to three points: the release of all hostages, the surrendering of power and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

As my colleague William Christou notes in this story, Hamas said the rest of the deal would have to be discussed alongside other Palestinian parties, as it is part of a “collective national stance”.

In practice, this means Hamas wants further negotiations on the thornier parts of the Trump deal, particularly the request that it disarms, and a solid timetable on Israel’s withdrawal.