"They will disarm or we will disarm them."
The promise
In mid October 2025, President Trump declared that Hamas must disarm voluntarily under his 20-point Gaza peace plan — and if they refuse, the U.S. “will disarm them,” possibly by force. He tied this to the ceasefire and the release of hostages and framed it as a non-negotiable demand. The promise is bold and militarily risky: it implies direct involvement in enforcing disarmament in a war zone, with uncertain legal, diplomatic, and operational frameworks. As of now, Hamas has not publicly yielded its weapons, and how the U.S. would carry out forced disarmament remains unclear.
