Trump says US won’t let Hamas play post-war governance role in Gaza

By Jacob Magid

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23 April 2025, 12:52 am

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Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he participates in the swearing-in ceremony for Paul Atkins, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in the Oval Office of the White House on Washington, April 22, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP)

Asked by reporters whether he will prevent Hamas from having any role in the post-war governance of Gaza and whether the terror group will have to be permanently eradicated as part of a ceasefire sought by the US, President Donald Trump responds, “We’re not going to let Hamas do that, and we’re going to see what happens with Gaza.”

Hamas officials have told mediators that they’re prepared to cede governing control of Gaza but that they won’t agree to disarm — a key demand of both Israel and the United States.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump reiterates that Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023 — “that very special date” — would not have happened if he were president.