Former President Donald Trump suggested that Hamas received temporary approval to act as a Palestinian police force in Gaza while discussing the ongoing peace deal. This statement came amid reports of Hamas rearming themselves and the return of hostages.
Meredith Deliso and Fritz FarrowResponding to a question about reports of Hamas rearming themselves, Trump said that"we gave them approval for a period of time." President Donald Trump implied Hamas has been given approval to act as a Palestinian police force in Gaza "for a period of time" in the wake of implementing phase one ofWhile en route to the Middle East earlier Monday aboard Air Force One, Trump responded to a question from a reporter about reports of Hamas rearming themselves.
"Well, they are standing because they do want to stop the problems, and they've been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time," Trump said. Hamas gunman stand in guard as ICRC vehicles transporting released Israeli hostages head toward the Israeli border in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025.Trump continued that Palestinians are returning to buildings that have been destroyed, after two years of war, and "a lot of bad things can happen." "We want it to be safe. I think it's going to be fine. Who knows? Who knows for sure?" he said. "But I think it's going to be fine."first phase of the U.S.-brokered peace deal went into effect on Friday, calling for the return of all living and dead hostages in Gaza in exchange for the release of scores of Palestinian prisoners and a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area.calls for the disarmament of Hamas and stipulates the militant group cannot play a role in the future governance of Gaza, these points are not covered by the initial phase of the agreement. The final 20 remaining living hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, were returned to Israel on Monday as part of an exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, officials said. On Monday, Trump said negotiations on phase two of the peace plan for Gaza had "started," though he did not specify what that entailed. "I mean, it started as far as we're concerned," Trump said during remarks in Egypt, where he attended a signing ceremony after addressing the Israeli Knesset earlier in the day. "Phase two has started. And, you know, the phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other. You're gonna start cleaning up. You look at Gaza -- it needs a lot of cleanup."Copyright © 2025 ABC News Internet Ventures.
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