US President Donald Trump has dramatically shifted his stance on the Gaza conflict, urging Israel to “finish the job” against Hamas — just weeks after suggesting that a ceasefire deal was within reach.
Speaking to reporters before departing Washington for a weekend trip to Scotland, Trump blamed Hamas for the breakdown in ceasefire negotiations and said the time had come for Israel to escalate its military campaign.
“I think they want to die, and it’s very, very bad,” Trump said. “You’re gonna have to finish the job.”
This shift comes after Trump’s administration pulled back from U.S.-brokered ceasefire talks, with Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff citing Hamas’ lack of coordination and bad faith negotiations. Witkoff said the administration is now exploring “alternative options” for securing the release of hostages.
Earlier this month, Trump had projected optimism that a deal was imminent. But frustration has grown inside the White House, as both the Gaza talks and separate efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine have stalled dimming Trump’s chances of securing a Nobel Peace Prize, a longtime personal goal.
Despite Trump’s grim tone, other actors in the region suggested the talks are not dead. Egypt and Qatar, the key mediators, called the latest pause in negotiations “normal in the context of complex negotiations.” A senior Israeli official also confirmed the talks have “not at all” collapsed and could resume.
Still, Trump’s withdrawal sent shockwaves through Doha, where the talks were taking place. “This is an earthquake,” one source close to the negotiations told CNN. “We’re dealing with the aftershock.”
The core sticking points in the negotiations reportedly include the timeline for ending the war, the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, and the future positioning of Israeli forces in Gaza.
Trump, meanwhile, placed the blame squarely on Hamas. “Now we’re down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages,” he said, implying the group was stalling to maintain leverage.
The president declined to elaborate on his recent conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling them merely “sort of disappointing.” Despite that, Trump showed no sign of pressuring Israel to scale back its campaign — even as international condemnation mounts over worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
One UN official this week described Gazans as “walking corpses,” and Tunisian President Kais Saied presented Trump’s senior Africa adviser, Massad Boulos, with images of starving children, some reduced to eating sand.
“It is absolutely unacceptable,” Saied said, calling the crisis “a crime against all of humanity.”
Trump deflected criticism by accusing Hamas of obstructing aid deliveries and claimed the U.S. had received no credit for its contributions.
“People don’t know this — and we didn’t get any thank you — but we contributed $60 million to food and supplies,” Trump said. “We hope the money gets there, because you know, that money gets taken. The food gets taken.”
However, an internal U.S. review reportedly found no widespread evidence that Hamas had stolen U.S.-funded aid.
Meanwhile, key allies are adopting a firmer tone against Israel’s conduct in the war. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Israel’s actions “indefensible,” and French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would move to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the move as “a slap in the face” to Israeli victims of the October 7th attack, but Trump dismissed it.
“He’s a very good guy. I like him,” Trump said of Macron. “But that statement doesn’t carry weight.”
