Donald Trump Pledges to Disarm Hamas Amid Gaza Power Struggle

President Donald Trump has pledged to disarm Hamas if the organization refuses to do so voluntarily. This commitment follows reports that Hamas is actively working to reassert itself as the dominant ruling force in the Gaza Strip, defying a US-backed peace plan that requires the group to disarm and exit the territory.

Following a ceasefire, Hamas has reportedly called up 7,000 fighters and resumed recruiting and re-arming, including the collection of unexploded munitions. To consolidate power, the group has employed violent tactics such as public executions, beatings, and raids against opposing clans and militias. These actions include clashes on October 13 that left at least 32 Gazans dead, prompting a spokesman for the Palestinian National Authority to characterize the brutality as "ISIS-like."

Hamas continues to reject peace proposals and international conferences, maintaining a commitment to a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. While Donald Trump has threatened to "obliterate" the group, Hamas leadership has historically utilized religious rhetoric to frame its resistance as jihad. The organization remains defiant against the Israeli state, which has conducted a two-year military offensive in Gaza resulting in over 68,000 Palestinian and nearly 2,000 Israeli fatalities.