OAN Staff Katherine Mosack and Brooke Mallory
3:25 PM – Thursday, October 16, 2025
President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Hamas via his Truth Social platform, stating that if the terrorist group continues executing Palestinians in Gaza, those working to stabilize the recent peace agreement would have “no choice but to go in and kill them.”
On Thursday, the U.S. president wrote, “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them.”
The president’s threat follows reports of public executions by Hamas in Gaza City. Following the exit of Israeli forces in Gaza, disturbing footage posted on social media depicted Hamas gunmen carrying out public executions of Palestinians whom the terror group claimed to be “criminals and collaborators with Israel,” according to the BBC.
In the footage, the accused were blindfolded and forced to get down on their knees before being shot from behind.
As of mid-October, reports have stated that Hamas has executed at least 33 Palestinians in Gaza, and the executions were carried out publicly in various neighborhoods.
President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas’ office has strongly condemned the executions, calling for the restoration of law and order in Gaza. Abbas, a rival of the terrorist group, has also called for Hamas to surrender their weapons to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
“We declare our readiness to work with President Donald Trump, with Saudi Arabia, France, the United Nations and all partners to implement the peace plan,” he said previously.
Later on Thursday, after persistent questions from reporters about whether the U.S. would deploy troops in a hypothetical operation against Hamas, Trump clarified that he did not intend to suggest American involvement in such an attack.
“I didn’t say who would go in, but somebody will go in. It’s not going to be us,” Trump responded.
Trump’s warning came one day after U.S. advisers reported that Washington was working to create a safe zone to shelter civilians who are fearful of being targeted by Hamas.
“This is really in response to … the reports we’ve been seeing of Hamas, you know, executing rivals,” one adviser said. “Israel is very committed to creating safety for the people of Gaza who want to live in peace, and so this is a new line of effort that we requested.”
Trump also recently mulled over giving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the go-ahead to resume military action in Gaza if Hamas fails to uphold its end of the deal.
The first phase of the ceasefire, brokered by the Trump administration, mandated the return of the 48 hostages held in Gaza, both dead and alive. Though the 20 living hostages have been reunited with Israel within the 72-hour deadline, many of the 28 deceased have not been returned, indicating that the first phase is still not complete.
The second phase of the agreement requires Hamas to disarm itself. This is a pillar of the deal that seems more and more difficult to complete, considering the terror group so far has no intentions of giving up their weapons.
Admiral Brad Cooper, United States Central Commander, released a statement on Wednesday strongly urging “Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza — in both Hamas-held parts of Gaza and those secured by the IDF.”
“This is a historic opportunity for peace. Hamas should seize it by fully standing down, strictly adhering to President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, and disarming without delay,” Cooper said. “We have conveyed our concerns to the mediators who agreed to work with us to enforce the peace and protect innocent Gaza civilians.”
“We remain highly optimistic for the future of the peace in the region,” he added.
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