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US President Donald Trump on Friday expressed support for a “hard stance” on Gaza, the Palestinian enclave where a fragile ceasefire is in place between Israel and Hamas militants.
Trump’s comments come amid ongoing tensions and his previous controversial remarks regarding the conflict.
Earlier this week, Trump had called for Hamas to release all Israeli hostages in Gaza by Saturday at noon or face severe consequences, saying, "Let hell break out."
When asked about the potential developments, Trump told reporters on Friday that he was uncertain about what actions Israel might take next.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow (Saturday). If it was up to me, I would take a very hard stance, but I can’t tell you what Israel is going to do,” Reuters reported Trump saying today.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas had been established just before Trump’s return to the presidency on January 20, leading to a temporary respite in the violence.
Since then, some hostages held by Hamas have been released, and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel have also been freed.
The United Nations’ human rights office has expressed distress over the conditions in which both Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees were held, with images of emaciated prisoners raising significant concerns.
Trump reiterated his focus on the condition of the released Israeli hostages, but did not address the plight of Palestinians in similar circumstances.
The violence in Gaza has been devastating, with Israel’s military assault killing more than 48,000 Palestinians since October 2023, according to the Gaza health ministry.
The scale of the casualties has sparked accusations of genocide and war crimes, which Israel denies. The ongoing conflict has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza, exacerbating a growing hunger crisis.
The latest escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
Trump's previous proposal to take control of Gaza, with the aim of permanently displacing Palestinians, has drawn widespread international criticism.
Many rights experts and the United Nations have condemned the suggestion, describing it as an attempt at ethnic cleansing.
The controversial proposal has raised questions about Trump's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his broader foreign policy stance.
Trump’s remarks on Gaza and his controversial proposals continue to stir debate, as the situation in the region remains tense and the international community grapples with how to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
In a separate development, Trump revealed that he had spoken with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer the day before and that he was open to meeting with him in the near future, possibly in the coming weeks. – February 15, 2025
