Trump says Hamas wants to die, urges Israel to ‘finish the job' in Gaza
Trump, who played a key role in negotiating the release of Edan Alexander — the last US-Israeli citizen held hostage by Hamas — said the group's refusal to compromise on the final stages of talks showed it was committed to continued violence.'Now we're down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages,' Trump said. 'Basically because of that, they really didn't want to make a deal.'With the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorating rapidly, and reports mounting of starvation among civilians, Trump signaled that diplomacy may no longer be viable.'They'll have to fight and clean it up,' he said, backing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military campaign. 'They (Hamas) will be hunted down.'Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling "alternative" options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the enclave.US envoy Steve Witkoff said Hamas was to blame for the impasse, and Netanyahu said Witkoff had got it right.Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said on Facebook that the talks had been constructive, and criticised Witkoff's remarks as aimed at exerting pressure on Israel's behalf."What we have presented - with full awareness and understanding of the complexity of the situation - we believe could lead to a deal if the enemy had the will to reach one," he said.Mediators Qatar and Egypt said there had been some progress in the latest round of talks. They said suspensions were a normal part of the process and they were committed to continuing to try to reach a ceasefire in partnership with the US.MASS HUNGERMass starvation has taken hold in Gaza, with international aid agencies warning that food and medical supplies are nearly depleted for the territory's 2.2 million residents. Israel's siege of the enclave — tightened in March and only partially eased in May — has left the population teetering on the brink of a man-made famine.advertisement'The Gaza Strip does not need flying aerobatics,' said Ismail Al-Thawabta, head of the Hamas-run Gaza media office, dismissing recent airdrops by Israel and other countries as cosmetic. 'It needs an open humanitarian corridor and a steady daily flow of aid trucks to save what remains of the lives of besieged, starving civilians.'Over the past 24 hours alone, Gaza's health authorities reported nine more deaths from malnutrition and starvation. The toll is rising by the day, with dozens having already died in recent weeks due to worsening hunger.The United Nations confirmed Friday that supplies of specialised therapeutic food — critical for treating children with severe acute malnutrition — are nearly gone. UN agencies blame Israeli restrictions for hampering humanitarian operations.Israel, for its part, insists it has allowed sufficient food into the territory and accuses the UN of mismanagement. 'This is a deliberate ploy to defame Israel,' the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. The UN has pushed back, saying it is doing its best under highly restricted conditions and has demanded Israel provide evidence for claims that UN aid workers are affiliated with Hamas.UN aid chief Tom Fletcher, in a letter seen by Reuters, asked Israel to substantiate its accusations, amid growing international scrutiny of Israel's role in worsening Gaza's humanitarian collapse.advertisementMeanwhile, the war rages on. Palestinian officials said 21 people were killed Friday in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire, including five in a strike on a Gaza City school sheltering displaced families. Among the dead was journalist Adam Abu Harbid, whose body was carried through the streets with his blue flak jacket marked 'PRESS' laid across him.Israel's military campaign began after Hamas-led militants attacked border towns on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Since then, Gaza's health ministry says nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli operations, with much of the strip reduced to rubble.- EndsTune InMust Watch
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