Just weeks after expressing confidence that a deal to end the war in Gaza was imminent, President Donald Trump has signaled a significant shift in his administration’s stance. His earlier optimism has been replaced by a call for Israel to escalate its military campaign, even as the humanitarian crisis in the region deepens.
This change follows the US withdrawal of its negotiators from ceasefire talks this week. The administration stated that Hamas was neither “coordinated” nor “acting in good faith,” prompting Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to explore “alternative options” for securing the release of the remaining hostages.
On Friday, before departing for Scotland, Trump endorsed a more aggressive military approach. “I think they want to die, and it’s very, very bad,” he said of Hamas. “It got to be to a point where you’re gonna have to finish the job.”
It remains unclear whether this new posture reflects a genuine collapse in negotiations or a tactical maneuver designed to pressure Hamas. However, the president’s words suggest he will not push Israel to de-escalate its 21-month-long offensive, despite growing global outrage and a UN official describing Gazans as “walking corpses.”
Trump described his recent conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “sort of disappointing,” adding that Israel would “have to fight and they’re gonna have to clean it up.” This represents a stark reversal from his earlier position and a setback for his efforts to broker a peace deal.
Despite the US withdrawal, key mediators and officials in the region have not declared the talks a failure. Egypt and Qatar issued a joint statement affirming their commitment to mediation, describing the suspension as “normal in the context of these complex negotiations.” A senior Israeli official told CNN the talks have “not at all” collapsed and could resume. Some US officials also hope the administration’s harder line will push Hamas toward a more conciliatory stance.
Key sticking points in the negotiations reportedly include the terms for a permanent end to the war, the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, and the redeployment of Israeli forces in Gaza.
Trump placed the blame for the breakdown squarely on Hamas, suggesting the group’s leverage has diminished as hostages have been released or died in custody. “Now we’re down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages, and basically, because of that, they really didn’t want to make a deal,” he said.
As the starvation crisis in Gaza intensifies, international pressure is mounting. During a meeting in Tunis, Tunisian President Kais Saied presented Trump’s senior Africa adviser, Massad Boulos, with photos of malnourished children, calling the situation “a crime against all of humanity.”
In response, Trump asserted that Hamas was obstructing aid distribution and claimed the US had contributed $60 million for food and supplies without receiving acknowledgement. An internal US government review, however, found no evidence of widespread theft of US-funded aid by Hamas.
The US position is increasingly at odds with its top allies. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday called “Israel’s disproportionate military escalation in Gaza” a “indefensible.” In a surprise move, French President Emmanuel Macron announced France would move to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.
Trump dismissed the French president’s statement, saying, “The statement doesn’t carry any weight. He’s a very good guy. I like him. But that statement doesn’t carry weight.”
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