(Washington/Paris) US President Trump again warned Thursday that Hamas's killings in Gaza violate the ceasefire and that if such actions continue, the group will be annihilated by the United States.
"If Hamas continues to kill civilians in Gaza and fails to abide by the ceasefire, we will have no choice but to go in and destroy them," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Thursday (October 16).
However, Trump said the operation would not involve US troops but would be carried out with US support.
Since the Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire took effect, Hamas has been accused of suppressing other factions in Gaza and arbitrarily executing dissidents, resulting in dozens of deaths.
On Thursday, Israel and Palestine exchanged accusations of ceasefire violations, with Israel demanding that Hamas hand over the remains of the remaining 19 hostages.
Further reading
哈马斯表明，一些遗体埋在被以色列摧毁的隧道和大楼废墟底下，必须要重型机械和挖掘设备才能进行挖掘。哈马斯强调，他们会履行停火协议，归还所有的人质遗体，但需要一些时间把这些遗体找出来。
目前，土耳其已派出数十名灾难救援专家，协助在加沙的废墟中搜寻遗体。
哈马斯已归还10具遗体，但以色列说，其中一具经过鉴定后，证实并非人质。
Gaza's Health Ministry said Thursday that Israel returned the remains of 30 Palestinians that day, bringing the total returned to 120. According to the ceasefire agreement, Israel is required to return 15 Palestinian remains for every hostage body it receives.
A senior Hamas official accused Israel of ceasefire violations on Thursday, claiming at least 24 deaths since the 10th, and said a list of violations had been submitted to the mediators.
The Israeli military previously said some Palestinians ignored warnings not to approach Israeli ceasefire positions, prompting Israeli forces to open fire to eliminate the threat.
Gaza's Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza killed two people. The Israeli military responded by saying that several individuals emerged from a tunnel and approached Israeli soldiers, posing a direct threat to their safety, prompting the order to fire.
Separately, France and the United Kingdom are coordinating with the United States to finalize a UN Security Council resolution in the coming days that would lay the groundwork for the future deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza. A French Foreign Ministry spokesperson told reporters in Paris that the force must obtain UN authorization to provide a firm basis in international law and streamline procedures to facilitate future funding from various countries.
Diplomatic officials said that because the international stabilization force is not a formal UN peacekeeping force, it will not be funded by the UN.
After the ceasefire, the Gaza Strip faces the threat of infectious diseases. The World Health Organization warns that infectious diseases are spreading uncontrollably in Gaza.
Currently, only 13 of Gaza's 36 hospitals are partially operational, posing a daunting challenge to treating patients.
For many Gazans, while the cessation of bombing brings relief, Gaza has been devastated, and reconstruction seems far-fetched.
Mahram, who returned to Gaza City after the ceasefire, told AFP that the necessities of life are now gone. "No food, no water, nothing. As you can see, all that remains is ruins."
