WASHINGTON, 06 Oct. - (ANA) - Donald Trump has warned that Hamas faces “complete obliteration” if it insists on ruling Gaza.

 

The US president’s intervention came as delegations from Israel and Hamas arrived in Egypt on Sunday to begin indirect talks on the return of hostages and political prisoners. The talks could pave the way to a ceasefire and end two years of war.

 

But a number of key issues remain in negotiations, including stipulations that would force Hamas to disarm and have no role in the postwar governance of Gaza.

 

In a text message to CNN on the issue of disarmament, Mr Trump wrote: “We will find out. Only time will tell!!!”

 

On Sunday, Mr Trump warned Hamas that it would be destroyed if it refused to cede power in Gaza, as set out under his 20-point peace plan.

 

Asked by CNN what would happen if the group insisted on staying in power in the enclave, he responded: “Complete obliteration!”

 

Shortly before a 6pm Sunday deadline he imposed for Hamas, Mr Trump said peace talks were moving quickly but warned of “massive bloodshed” if they stalled.

 

“These talks have been very successful, and proceeding rapidly,” the US president said, adding that the “final details” would be worked out in negotiations beginning on Monday in Egypt.

 

The US president continued: “I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST. I will continue to monitor this Centuries old ‘conflict.’

 

“TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE OR, MASSIVE BLOODSHED WILL FOLLOW – SOMETHING THAT NOBODY WANTS TO SEE!”

 

Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, told NBC News that the war in Gaza was not yet over.

 

“There’s some work that remains to be done,” Mr Rubio said of the issues in the US-backed ceasefire plan that need to be ironed out.

 

On Sunday, Israel’s army chief warned the fighting in Gaza would resume if talks fail.

 

Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, vowed to continue fighting in Gaza with “full backing from all involved countries” if Hamas rejected the agreement.

 

Speaking to the Gvura Families of the Fallen Forum, which represents the families of soldiers killed in the war, the Israeli prime minister said he would not “move on to any next point in the plan until the first point – the release of all hostages, until the very last one is transferred to Israeli territory”.

 

Mr Netanyahu also insisted that Israel would be responsible for disarming Hamas, and the Palestinian Authority (PA) would not control Gaza after the end of the war.

 

This directly contradicted Mr Trump’s peace plan, which states that the PA will “effectively take back control of Gaza” once it has undergone reforms.

 

 

 

 

Ahead of the Egyptian negotiations, a senior Hamas official told AFP that the terror group was “very keen to reach an agreement to end the war and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process in accordance with the field conditions”.

 

“The occupation must not obstruct the implementation of President Trump’s plan. If the occupation has genuine intentions to reach an agreement, Hamas is ready,” the official added.

 

The Hamas delegation is led by Khalil al-Hayya, who survived the Israeli attack on senior officials of the terror group in Qatar last month.

 

The Israeli delegation to Sharm el-Sheikh will be led by Ron Dermer, the country’s strategic affairs minister; Ophir Falk, a senior advisor to Mr Netanyahu; Gal Hirsch, the government’s lead on hostages; David Zini, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency; and Nitzan Alon, who leads on the hostages for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

 

Mr Trump has sent Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, and Steve Witkoff, his Middle East envoy, to oversee the talks, which will begin on Monday, a source told The Telegraph.

 

Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, said the reason for the “possible turnaround in Hamas’s position is the intensity of the pressure Israel is exerting on Gaza City” and that the IDF was currently “in the heart of Gaza City and ready for any possibility”.

 

“If Hamas refuses to release the hostages, the IDF will again increase the intensity of fire until Hamas is defeated and all the hostages are released,” Mr Katz said.

 

A source told The Telegraph that Israel would halt its offensive in the Gaza Strip to allow Hamas to begin organising the release of the hostages.

 

The source added that Israel was “constantly examining what is happening on the ground and will not allow the terrorist organisations to try to take advantage of the opportunity and carry out a last-minute attack, or to strengthen their grip on the ground”.

 

But Israeli planes and tanks continued to pummel Gaza City on Sunday, destroying several residential buildings, despite Mr Trump’s appeal to stop the assault.

 

On Sunday, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) expressed outrage over the death of a colleague fatally hit in Gaza.

 

Abed El Hameed Qaradaya, 43, succumbed to shrapnel injuries sustained in the attack which happened on Thursday and which also killed Omar Hayek, an MSF colleague, and injured several others.

 

Mr Rubio said Israel must stop bombing Gaza if it wanted to secure the release of the hostages.

 

He told CBS News: “I think the Israelis and everyone acknowledge you can’t release hostages in the middle of [air] strikes, so the strikes will have to stop.

 

“There can’t be a war going on in the middle of it.”

 

According to Israel’s Channel 12, the IDF has been instructed to switch from offensive to defensive posture. The channel said the air strikes reported across Gaza in the past 24 hours were meant to defend Israeli troops from imminent threats.

 

Mr Trump appears determined to secure a peace deal despite Mr Netanyahu’s reservations.

 

Citing official US sources, Axios reported that Mr Netanyahu told Mr Trump that Hamas’s response to the peace plan was “nothing to celebrate”, to which Mr Trump said: “I don’t know why you’re always so f—ing negative. This is a win. Take it.”

 

The first four points of the peace plan are understood to be of “utmost importance” to Israel, with Jerusalem “fully aligned” with Washington to secure a deal, The Telegraph was told.

 

These points stipulate that Gaza will be de-radicalised, will be redeveloped for the people of Gaza, the war will end if both parties agree to the terms, and hostages will be returned within 72 hours.

 

“The negotiations [will show] whether Hamas is bluffing again or whether it has realised that it has no choice but to accept the Trump plan,” the source said.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/06 October 2025  - - -