Trump: ‘Hamas Must Move Quickly, or Else…’

Yesterday, Hamas announced that it was prepared to release all the remaining Israeli hostages. However, they did not specifically agree to all of the elements of Trump’s peace plan. Specifically, they did not commit to disarming or to stepping aside either militarily or politically.

Despite this, President Trump welcomed their response and said it appeared Hamas was ready for a “lasting peace.” He also called on Israel to stop attacks in Gaza and prepare for the next phase of the hostage release.

But it wasn’t clear if Hamas was really going to release the hostages or just use the promise of releasing them as a way to resume negotiations which they could then drag out for weeks or months.

This morning, President Trump acknowledged that possibility and made it clear he expects Hamas to “move quickly.” “I will not tolerate delay, which many think will happen,” he said.

“I appreciate that Israel has temporarily stopped the bombing in order to give the Hostage release and Peace Deal a chance to be completed. Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off. I will not tolerate delay…”- President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/CmNosJ7aPF

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 4, 2025

The Wall Street Journal published a story yesterday saying the situation with Hamas is a bit more complicated than it appears. There are really two factions of Hamas we are dealing with, the wealthy leadership in Qatar and the on-the-ground fighters in Gaza. And those two groups don’t feel the same way about Trump’s peace plan.

Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas’s top negotiator, and several other senior political officials support accepting the proposal despite significant reservations, Arab mediators said. But those Hamas officials, based outside Gaza, have limited sway over the group’s armed wing, which remains in the enclave.

Ezzedin al-Haddad, who rose to lead Hamas in Gaza after Israel killed Yahya and Mohammed Sinwar, has told mediators he is open to compromise. Mediators said Haddad is willing to give up rockets and other offensive weapons to Egypt and the United Nations for storage but wants to retain small arms such as assault rifles, which Hamas considers defensive.

But Hamas commanders inside Gaza fear they won’t be able to enforce compliance with disarmament demands among fighters if they accept a deal that amounts to surrender, the mediators said. The organization has recruited many young men since the war began, often those who saw their homes destroyed or family members killed. Such fighters might be unwilling to lay down their arms.

The story goes on to say that even on the ground, it’s not clear how much control the military leaders have over the fighters, many of whom are untrained new recruits.

The armed wing has lost most of its senior leadership and thousands of experienced fighters. Many of its newer recruits lack training, and Israel’s tightened control over Gaza has strained the group’s ability to communicate and coordinate operations.

To adapt, Hamas has devolved command to smaller units, Arab mediators and Israeli military officials said. These units often act independently, making their own decisions about when and how to attack Israeli forces…

Haddad and other senior leaders exercise limited control over these units, a problem exacerbated by a financial crunch that has hindered Hamas’s ability to pay salaries. 

So you have a bunch of terror cells who are still trying to kill the IDF and increasingly fighting with rival groups and clans. Just because the “leadership” in Qatar or Turkey agrees to some deal, doesn’t mean they have any real control over those Hamas fighters on the ground who are still trying to dominate the area with threats. But, presumably, those fighters are the ones holding the hostages. Will they agree to give them up in the next few days if it also means disarmament and, quite possibly, death at the hands of some clan that sees they are weakened?

Finally, even if Hamas in Gaza somehow agrees to go through with this, all that’s really going to happen is that the fighters who joined team Hamas for the promise of a nifty headband decide to join some equally militant group that doesn’t seem to be on the decline.

Mediators warn that if Hamas’s leaders accept Trump’s plan, some fighters could defect to other Palestinian militant groups. Many have already threatened to join factions such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad or the Palestinian Liberation Front.

In other words, the chance of lasting peace seems pretty minimal at the moment no matter what the president does or doesn’t do. But if he can get the hostages back in the short term, that would certainly be a genuine win. Now we sit back and wait to see how long Hamas can stall doing what they supposedly have agreed to do.

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.

Help us continue to report the truth about the Schumer Shutdown. Use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership.