US President Donald Trump on Friday said that Hamas "didn't want to make a deal" regarding a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza. The conflict has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.Speaking to reporters in Washington before leaving for a trip to Scotland, Trump claimed that Hamas "doesn't have any bargaining chips.""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.He added, referring to Hamas, "I think they want to die." The US president also said the group's leaders are now "going to be hunted down."Trump also said that Israel "will have to finish the job... they'll have to fight and clean it up."When asked about French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent decision to recognise a Palestinian state, Trump responded that the move "doesn’t carry weight," but called Macron “a good guy.”Trump's comments came a day after his Middle East peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the US was pulling its negotiating team from Gaza talks to consult further in Washington.
In response, Hamas official Bassem Naim accused the US envoy of misrepresenting the situation. "The negative statements of the US envoy Witkoff run completely counter to the context in which the last negotiations were held, and he is perfectly aware of this, but they come to serve the Israeli position," Naim told AFP.
