By Kennedy Nalyanya
Washington D.C. - Just weeks after exuding confidence that a deal to end the Gaza conflict was imminent, President Donald Trump's optimism has dramatically soured. This week, his administration pulled back negotiators from ceasefire talks, citing a lack of coordination and good faith from Hamas. Trump has now pivoted, signalling it's time for Israel to escalate its military campaign, even as images of starving children in Gaza fuel mounting global outrage.
"I think they want to die, and it's very, very bad," Trump stated of Hamas before departing for a weekend trip to Scotland. "It got to be to a point where you're gonna have to finish the job."
This stark shift in posture leaves observers questioning whether the breakdown in talks is a genuine collapse or a calculated move to pressure Hamas. Regardless, Trump's words suggest little appetite to rein in Israel's 21-month-long military campaign, despite a burgeoning humanitarian crisis that has led one UN official to brand Gazans "walking corpses."
Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed he is exploring "alternative options" for securing the release of the remaining hostages. The former president's recent conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose actions in Gaza and Syria have reportedly "surprised and frustrated" Trump, were described as "sort of disappointing."
"They’re gonna have to fight and they’re gonna have to clean it up. You’re gonna have to get rid of ‘em," Trump affirmed, emphasizing Israel's need to dismantle Hamas.
This marks a clear acknowledgment that his efforts to broker a new ceasefire, which earlier this month appeared to be in their final stages, have derailed. The persistent failure to resolve the Gaza conflict, alongside his parallel struggles to end Russia's war in Ukraine, has reportedly frustrated Trump as he eyes a Nobel Peace Prize.
Despite Trump's pessimism, other signals from the region offer a glimmer of hope. Egypt and Qatar, key mediators, have committed to continuing their efforts for a lasting ceasefire, labelling the recent suspension in talks as "normal in the context of these complex negotiations." A senior Israeli official echoed this sentiment, telling CNN that the talks have "not at all" collapsed and that an opportunity for negotiations to resume still exists.
Some U.S. officials are hopeful that Trump's firm comments, coupled with Witkoff's withdrawal from talks, will compel Hamas to adopt a more conciliatory stance. However, the United States' sudden pull-back sent "shockwaves" through Doha, the Qatari capital where the negotiations have been taking place, with one source close to the talks calling it "an earthquake."
For months, the core impediments to a ceasefire have remained consistent: the terms and timeline for a permanent end to the war, the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, and the redeployment of Israeli military forces within Gaza.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump squarely blamed Hamas for the breakdown, asserting that the militant group's leverage diminished after many hostages were either released or died in captivity. He suggested Hamas was now unwilling to make a deal, echoing a sentiment reportedly conveyed by Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The urgency for a resolution is intensifying as the starvation crisis in Gaza spirals into a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe. During a meeting in Tunis on Friday, Tunisian President Kais Saied presented Trump’s senior Africa adviser, Massad Boulos, with distressing photos of malnourished children. Saied reportedly stated, "It is absolutely unacceptable... It is a crime against all of humanity."
Trump, however, placed the blame for aid distribution squarely on Hamas, while asserting the U.S. has not received adequate credit for its contributions. "We contributed $60 million to food and supplies and everything else," he claimed, adding, "We hope the money gets there, because you know, that money gets taken. The food gets taken. We’re going to do more, but we gave a lot of money.”
Notably, an internal U.S. government review found no evidence of widespread theft of U.S.-funded humanitarian aid by Hamas in Gaza.
Meanwhile, key U.S. allies are adopting an increasingly firm stance on Israel's military actions. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is set to meet Trump this weekend in Scotland, condemned "Israel’s disproportionate military escalation in Gaza" as "indefensible."
In a surprising late-night social media post, French President Emmanuel Macron announced France's intention to recognize a Palestinian state at September's United Nations General Assembly. This move angered Israel and drew criticism from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called it "a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th." Trump, however, appeared less concerned, dismissing the statement as "pointless".
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