Trump: Hamas ‘Will Be Hunted Down,’ Dismisses France’s Palestine Plan/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump said a ceasefire deal with Hamas is unlikely, claiming the group has lost all negotiating leverage and will be “hunted down.” He also criticized France’s recognition of Palestine as meaningless and emphasized that the U.S. has contributed $60 million in Gaza aid. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, echoed the stance, saying Hamas lacks real intent for peace.

A crowd of protesters gather around a large Palestinian flag during the Red Line for Gaza demonstration in Paris, on July 8.

Trump on Gaza Conflict + Quick Looks

Trump says Hamas doesn’t want peace, will be pursued militarily

Ceasefire talks paused after U.S. and Israel withdraw envoys

Hamas “has no bargaining chips left,” says Trump

U.S. has contributed $60 million in Gaza humanitarian aid

Trump expresses doubt aid reaches civilians, says it’s often “taken”

France’s recognition of Palestine dismissed as symbolic by Trump

Macron’s announcement met with backlash from Israel and U.S. officials

Steve Witkoff: Hamas response shows “lack of desire” to reach truce

Trump plans more aid, but questions distribution effectiveness

Over 100 international NGOs call for end to Gaza blockade

Trump: Hamas ‘Will Be Hunted Down,’ Dismisses France’s Palestine Plan

Deep Look

President Donald Trump on Friday cast doubt on the possibility of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, telling reporters that Hamas no longer has negotiating leverage and suggesting the militant group will instead face a military crackdown.

“Hamas didn’t want to make a deal,” Trump said before departing the White House for Scotland. “I think what’s going to happen is they’re going to be hunted down.”

Trump’s remarks followed the decision by both the U.S. and Israeli governments to pull their negotiating teams from Qatar after Hamas reportedly rejected recent proposals. Special envoy Steve Witkoff said Hamas showed a “lack of desire” to reach a truce, effectively halting talks that had shown only minimal progress in recent weeks.

Hamas Talks Collapse Amid Dwindling Hostage Leverage

Trump pointed to the diminishing number of Israeli hostages still in Hamas custody as a reason for the group’s eroding position at the negotiating table. “They don’t have any bargaining chips left,” he noted.

The deadlock has frustrated families of hostages still believed to be alive in Gaza, who are watching as diplomatic efforts stall once again.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have continued, and humanitarian conditions have reached crisis levels. Over 100 humanitarian organizations have called for an end to Israel’s blockade of the territory and for the restoration of essential supplies, including food, water, and medical aid.

Trump Questions Gaza Aid Distribution

Trump said the U.S. has already contributed $60 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and pledged that more will come, but expressed skepticism that the assistance is reaching civilians.

“We didn’t get any thank you. But we contributed $60 million,” he said. “We hope the money gets there because, you know, that money gets taken. The food gets taken.”

The claim echoes past accusations by Israeli officials that Hamas has intercepted aid deliveries for its own use—allegations Hamas denies. Despite that, Trump emphasized that the U.S. will continue supporting humanitarian efforts while pushing for a resolution.

France Recognizes Palestinian State—Trump Dismisses It

In another international development, French President Emmanuel Macron announced this week that France will officially recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September. The decision makes France the first Western permanent member of the UN Security Council and the first G7 country to take that step.

Trump downplayed the move, calling it largely inconsequential.

“He made a statement, France, Macron. The statement doesn’t carry any weight,” Trump said. “He’s a very good guy. I like him. But that statement doesn’t carry weight.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, was more forceful in his criticism, saying France’s decision “only serves Hamas propaganda” and undermines efforts to secure peace. “It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th,” he said.

Trump, by contrast, cast Macron’s action as a “team player” move with little practical impact.

A Fractured Path Forward

With ceasefire talks stalled and international diplomacy diverging, the path to peace in Gaza remains uncertain. Trump’s administration appears committed to a strategy that involves both pressure and limited engagement. His rhetoric suggests a pivot from diplomacy toward military and intelligence solutions—particularly if Hamas continues to resist concessions.

Witkoff, speaking Thursday, hinted at alternative options to achieve stability in Gaza and the release of remaining hostages, but did not provide specifics.

As Israel continues its offensive and international pressure mounts, Trump’s comments underscore the widening gap between Western leaders on how best to approach the Israel–Gaza conflict.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure from more than 200 MPs – including dozens in his own party – to formally recognise a Palestinian state.

LONDON – More than 220 British MPs, including dozens from the ruling Labour party, demanded on July 25 that the UK government formally recognise a Palestinian state, further increasing pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The call, in a letter signed by lawmakers from nine UK political parties, came less than 24 hours after French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state at a UN meeting in September.

France would be the first Group of 7 country – and the most powerful European nation to date – to make the move, already drawing condemnation from Israel and the United States.

Mr Starmer has come under rising domestic and international pressure over recognising Palestinian statehood, as opposition intensifies to the ongoing war in Gaza amid fears of mass starvation there.

“We urge you to officially recognise the state of Palestine at the Conference next week,” the 221 UK lawmakers wrote in the joint letter, referring to a July 28-29 UN Conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia in New York.

“Whilst we appreciate the UK does not have it in its power to bring about a free and independent Palestine, UK recognition would have a significant impact,” it said.

The signatories, from parties including the centre-right Conservatives and centrist Liberal Democrats, as well as regional parties in Scotland and Wales, cited Britain’s “historic connections and our membership on the UN Security Council”.

They also noted the country’s role in helping to create the state of Israel through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.

‘Responsibility’

“Since 1980, we have backed a two-state solution. Such a recognition would give that position substance as well as living up to a historic responsibility we have to the people,” they added.

In the face of growing pressure on the issue, the UK government has maintained its longstanding stance that it supports a two-state solution to the conflict in the Middle East.

But it has insisted that the conditions are currently not right for formal recognition of a Palestinian state.

In a statement on July 25, following a call about Gaza with his counterparts in France and Germany, Mr Starmer said he was “working on a pathway to peace in the region”.

“Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan,” he added.

A number of factors could deter Mr Starmer from making the move, including wanting to avoid angering US President Donald Trump.

The American leader, who lands later on July 25 in Scotland for a five-day visit, dismissed Mr Macron’s announcement before departing Washington, saying it “doesn’t carry weight”.

The pressure around recognising Palestinian statehood has been building on Mr Starmer’s government, with nearly 60 Labour MPs reportedly urging Foreign Secretary David Lammy to make the move in a private letter earlier in July.

Meanwhile, Mr Macron raised the issue during his UK state visit this month, publicly urging London to work with Paris on a formal recognition announcement. AFP

Summary Trump on Hamas leaders: ‘I think they will be hunted down … I think they want to die … It’s got the point where you have to finish the job’

Netanyahu says Israel will seek alternative means to achieve goals in Gaza war

Senior Hamas official says talks had been constructive and could lead to deal ‘if the enemy had the will to reach one’

JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON/CAIRO, July 25 (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump appeared on Friday to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, both saying it had become clear that the Palestinian militants did not want a deal.

Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling “alternative” options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the enclave, where starvation is spreading and most of the population is homeless amid widespread ruin.

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Trump said he believed Hamas leaders would now be “hunted down”, telling reporters: “Hamas really didn’t want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it’s very bad. And it got to be to a point where you’re going to have to finish the job.”

The remarks appeared to leave little to no room, at least in the short term, to resume negotiations for a break in the fighting, at a time when international concern is mounting over worsening hunger in war-shattered Gaza.

French President Emmanuel Macron, responding to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, announced that Paris would become the first major Western power to recognise an independent Palestinian state.

Britain and Germany said they were not yet ready to do so but later joined France in calling for an immediate ceasefire. British Prime Minister Keith Starmer said his government would recognize a Palestinian state only as part of a negotiated peace deal.

Trump dismissed Macron’s move. “What he says doesn’t matter,” he said. “He’s a very good guy. I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight.”

Israel and the United States withdrew their delegations on Thursday from the ceasefire talks in Qatar, hours after Hamas submitted its response to a truce proposal.

Sources initially said on Thursday that the Israeli withdrawal was only for consultations and did not necessarily mean the talks had reached a crisis. But Netanyahu’s remarks suggested Israel’s position had hardened overnight.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Hamas was to blame for the impasse, and Netanyahu said Witkoff had got it right.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said on Facebook that the talks had been constructive, and criticised Witkoff’s remarks as aimed at exerting pressure on Israel’s behalf.

“What we have presented – with full awareness and understanding of the complexity of the situation – we believe could lead to a deal if the enemy had the will to reach one,” he said.

Mediators Qatar and Egypt said there had been some progress in the latest round of talks. They said suspensions were a normal part of the process and they were committed to continuing to try to reach a ceasefire in partnership with the U.S.

The proposed ceasefire would suspend fighting for 60 days, allow more aid into Gaza, and free some of the 50 remaining hostages held by militants in return for Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel.

Item 1 of 2 A Palestinian holds a cat as he inspects houses destroyed during an Israeli military operation, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, July 23, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo [1/2] A Palestinian holds a cat as he inspects houses destroyed during an Israeli military operation, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, July 23, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

It has been held up by disagreement over how far Israel should withdraw its troops and the future beyond the 60 days if no permanent agreement is reached.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister in Netanyahu’s coalition, welcomed Netanyahu’s step, calling for a total halt of aid to Gaza and complete conquest of the enclave, adding in a post on X: “Total annihilation of Hamas, encourage emigration, (Jewish) settlement.”

MASS HUNGER

International aid organisations say mass hunger has now arrived among Gaza’s 2.2 million people, with stocks running out after Israel cut off all supplies to the territory in March, then reopened it in May but with new restrictions.

The Israeli military said on Friday it had agreed to let countries airdrop aid into Gaza. Hamas dismissed this as a stunt.

“The Gaza Strip does not need flying aerobatics, it needs an open humanitarian corridor and a steady daily flow of aid trucks to save what remains of the lives of besieged, starving civilians,” Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office, told Reuters.

Gaza medical authorities said nine more Palestinians had died over the past 24 hours from malnutrition or starvation. Dozens have died in the past few weeks as hunger worsens.

Israel says it has let enough food into Gaza and accuses the United Nations of failing to distribute it, in what the Israeli foreign ministry called on Friday “a deliberate ploy to defame Israel”. The United Nations says it is operating as effectively as possible under Israeli restrictions.

United Nations agencies said on Friday that supplies were running out in Gaza of specialised therapeutic food to save the lives of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher also has demanded that Israel provide evidence for its accusations that staff with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs were affiliated with Hamas, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

The ceasefire talks have been accompanied by continuing Israeli offensives. Palestinian health officials said Israeli airstrikes and gunfire had killed at least 21 people across the enclave on Friday, including five killed in a strike on a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City.

In the city, residents carried the body of journalist Adam Abu Harbid through the streets wrapped in a white shroud, his blue flak jacket marked PRESS draped across his body. He was killed overnight in a strike on tents housing displaced people.

Mahmoud Awadia, another journalist attending the funeral, said the Israelis were deliberately trying to kill reporters. Israel denies intentionally targeting journalists.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas-led fighters stormed Israeli towns near the border, killing some 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages on October 7, 2023. Since then, Israeli forces have killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, health officials there say, and reduced much of the enclave to ruins.

Reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Steve Holland in Washington and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo; writing by Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich and Patricia Zengerle; editing by Alison Williams, Toby Chopra, Philippa Fletcher

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President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state — a notably gentler response than the sharp condemnation from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top Republicans, who blasted the move a day earlier.

“What he says doesn’t matter,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “He’s a very good guy. I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight.”

Macron took to X on Thursday to announce his intention for France to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly next September.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS OBJECT TO EXPECTED UN SECURITY COUNCIL CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION

Macron cited the need for an “immediate ceasefire” as well as the release of all hostages and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza in his reasoning for France’s move. He also claimed that Hamas must be demilitarized and Gaza rebuilt in a letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas he shared on X.

“The French people want peace in the Middle East,” wrote Macron in the letter translated to English on X. “It is up to us, the French, together with the Israelis, the Palestinians, and our European and international partners, to demonstrate that it is possible.”

The letter claimed that “peace is possible” while Macron said he is working to convincing other partners to follow suit.

Recognition of Palestine remains largely symbolic as it does not automatically grant UN membership or full diplomatic ties. Around 150 out of 193 UN member states recognize Palestine as a sovereign state.

Trump’s words were much gentler than the strong rebukes by Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well as Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Thursday.

Rubio called France’s recognition “reckless” and a “slap in the face” to victims of the October 7 Hamas attack shortly after Macron made the announcement on Thursday.

“The United States strongly rejects French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly,” Rubio wrote on X.

“This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”

TRUMP ADMIN STANDS BY ISRAEL, REJECTS UN RESOLUTION BACKED BY UK AND FRANCE

Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., joined Rubio in sounding off against Macron.

“The French government’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state is curious and disturbing on multiple levels. I am certain this will embolden Hamas and make a ceasefire more difficult,” Graham wrote on X.

Graham also railed against what he said were the shortcomings of such a plan, asking a series of rhetorical questions paired with sarcasm.

“Who’s in charge? What are the borders and boundaries? What is the governance structure? Does Hamas stay involved politically or militarily? Is the West Bank and Gaza part of a single state? Are they allowed to have an army? Does the education system change?” Graham wrote

“Other than these few missing details, it seems like a foolproof plan!”

Cotton also blasted the moves as a “shameful endorsement of terrorists.”

“The best way for this conflict to end is to back Israel in its righteous mission of rescuing the hostages and defeating Hamas,” Cotton said.

Israeli officials responded swiftly and sharply to Macron on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials responded swiftly and sharply.

“We strongly condemn President Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the October 7 massacre,” Prime Minister Benajamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

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“Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became. A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin called the move “a black stain on France’s history and a direct boost to terrorism.”

He added: “The Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel, and even President Macron’s declaration will not change that.” Levin called for Israel to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, calling it “a just and historic response to the shameful decision by the President of France.”

Donald Trump has rejected Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize Palestine as a state.

The French president announced the major policy shift in a letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and is expected to make a formal announcement at the United Nations General Assembly in September. sky news.

Macron said he hopes the plan will bring peace to the region, but it drew sharp criticism from Israel and the US.

“What he says doesn’t matter,” Trump said.

“He’s a very nice guy. I like him, but this statement doesn’t carry any weight.”

Otherwise, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington “strongly opposes” French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize the Palestinian state, while the administration of US President Donald Trump announced that it will not participate in the upcoming United Nations conference aimed at a two-state solution for the Palestinians. /Telegraph/