(TJV NEWS) US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Hamas has told his aides it intends to disarm, adding that the terror group could face “violent” consequences if it fails to do so. He also urged the group to complete the return of all deceased hostages still held in Gaza.

“I spoke to Hamas, and I said, ‘You’re going to disarm, right?’ ‘Yes, sir. We’re going to disarm,’” Trump told reporters at the White House. “They will disarm or we will disarm them.”

Trump later clarified that the messages were conveyed through his aides, including US special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who met last week with Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya in Sharm el-Sheikh. The talks were aimed at ensuring that Israel adheres to the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire, which went into effect Friday.

Under that agreement, Hamas released the remaining 20 hostages believed to be alive on Monday. However, the group has only handed over four bodies of deceased hostages so far. The deal allows some flexibility, recognizing that locating all bodies may take additional time, with a joint task force established to assist in their recovery, according to The Times of Israel.

Trump emphasized that disarmament is a top priority. “We have told them we want them to disarm, and they will disarm. And if they don’t, we will disarm them, and it’ll happen quickly and perhaps violently,” he said.

The president also addressed concerns over Hamas’s adherence to the ceasefire-hostage deal. He noted that the group has misrepresented the number of bodies it can produce, reporting fewer than initially claimed. “We were told they had 26, 24 dead hostages… and it seems they don’t have that because we’re talking about a much lesser number,” he said, reiterating that he expects all hostages, living and deceased, to be returned. The Times of Israel confirmed these reports, noting that only eight bodies have been recovered so far.

Trump framed the next phase of his 20-point plan for Gaza as “phase two,” focusing on post-war governance and reconstruction under a transitional Palestinian technocratic government, overseen by a Board of Peace chaired by Trump and including international figures. Hamas has not yet committed to disarmament or phase two, saying further negotiations are needed.

The president also addressed recent executions in Gaza, where Hamas has killed at least 33 people accused of collaborating with Israel since the ceasefire. Trump defended the actions in part, saying the victims were “a couple of very bad gangs” and likened the situation to other countries dealing with criminal networks, according to The Times of Israel.

The White House comments come amid scrutiny of the ceasefire’s implementation and ongoing challenges in stabilizing the Gaza Strip while ensuring that hostages and remains are fully returned.