Hamas has accused former United States President Donald Trump of enabling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to tighten the siege on Gaza, warning that the blockade risks starvation for 2.3 million Palestinians in the besieged enclave.
Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif al-Qanou on Thursday claimed that Trump’s repeated threats against the group were providing Netanyahu with justification to evade the ceasefire agreement and further restrict humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“Trump’s repeated threats against our people represent support to Netanyahu to evade the agreement and tighten the siege and starvation against our people,” he said, as reported by Reuters.
The statement came after a White House spokesperson confirmed that a US envoy had held direct talks with Hamas, marking a significant shift from Washington’s long-standing policy of not engaging with the group, which it designates as a terrorist organisation.
According to Egyptian security officials, the discussions—attended by Egyptian and Qatari mediators—focused on the terms of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which took effect in January.
The ceasefire agreement stipulated the release of remaining captives in Gaza during a second phase, in which final plans for ending the conflict were to be negotiated. However, after the first phase concluded on Saturday, Israel imposed a total blockade on the territory, insisting that Hamas must free the remaining captives before advancing peace talks.
Palestinians in Gaza have decried the blockade, warning that it could push the region further into a humanitarian catastrophe. “My house is gone, my work is gone, but I will not allow Trump to displace us,” said Mohamed Abou Azb, a resident of Khan Younis. “We are rooted in this land, rooted in Gaza. Our life and death are here.”
Trump has previously called for Gaza’s residents to be resettled elsewhere and suggested that the enclave could be transformed into a “Middle East Riviera,” a remark that has sparked widespread criticism among Palestinians.
Abdallah Abu Rizk, another resident of Khan Younis, dismissed the proposal, vowing that Palestinians would never leave their homeland. “Over the years, we have remained steadfast in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem. We will remain until we die in our land.”
