Trump Demands Hamas Surrender in Gaza: ‘Or Face Consequences’

Paul Riverbank, 1/15/2026Trump pressures Hamas for surrender; US push for new Gaza governance marks fragile, crucial moment.

Witkoff, a newcomer to Middle East diplomacy, didn’t mince words. His message was unmistakable: The United States wants Hamas to comply—fully and immediately. This means, above all, returning the body of the last Israeli hostage. “There will be consequences,” Witkoff warned, his tone carrying little patience for ambiguity. For many observers, that statement underlined just how much is still at stake.

To understand why Witkoff’s appearance matters, it helps to look back several months. October’s ceasefire, an uneasy truce hammered out under relentless pressure, brought a momentary pause in the violence. Hamas released all surviving hostages; Israel, in turn, eased its presence from Gaza’s urban heart. Yet the guns never truly fell silent. Israeli jets continued their sorties; sporadic clashes erupted in pockets along the border. Civilians—caught as ever in the middle—bear the brunt, relief agencies say.

Now, after months of fitful progress, Washington is pressing ahead with what it’s branded “Phase Two.” The details? No simple checklist. The cornerstone is a new governing body, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza—NCAG. Its intended leader is Ali Shaath, a familiar name among West Bank politicians, but a clear outsider to Hamas’s inner circle. The choice is deliberate: Shaath brings ties to Fatah and Mahmoud Abbas, signaling an attempt to pivot Gaza away from its years under militant rule.

Hamas, publicly, claims it will relinquish its administrative bid as soon as Shaath’s team takes charge. Private signals are murkier. Skeptics have noted that neither a handover date nor specifics about disarmament have emerged. “There’s a voicelessness about timing,” said a regional analyst I spoke with, reflecting broad uncertainty.

Meanwhile, the US plan calls for international peacekeepers. Here, too, the answer is blurry. While the United Nations endorsed the concept in November, the names of contributing nations remain conspicuously absent. Israel, for its part, seems prepared to scale down operations once the foreign troops hit the ground. Whether this will translate into actual withdrawal or another reshuffling of forces remains to be seen.

President Abbas, ever eager to assert his authority, quickly lent rhetorical support. In a statement Tuesday, he praised Trump’s efforts and pushed for Jerusalem and the West Bank to be folded into any long-term vision. “Unilateral steps must stop,” Abbas insisted, framing the process as a chance to break years of deadlock. It is a familiar refrain, but one that carries fresh weight as the international community eyes the possibility, however faint, of new governance emerging in Gaza.

Complicating all of this is the region’s wider volatility. In Sudan, violence grinds into a third year, with no clear endgame. American and Egyptian diplomats are hustling between capitals, hoping to prevent Sudan’s collapse from spilling over further. Aid shipments managed to puncture the siege in Khartoum this week, but most observers — myself included — read this as the barest of silver linings.

At ground level in Gaza, the struggle persists. Hamas’s arsenal is intact, foreign peacekeepers have yet to materialize, and civilians count the weeks between announcements and real change. “People hear plenty about phases, less about food or fuel,” one Gaza doctor told me in an email, her tone heavy with fatigue.

There’s also the looming prospect of a new Board of Peace, the members of which President Trump is expected to announce soon. Who will fill those seats could define what comes next: continued stalemate, or the beginnings of genuine transition.

In sum, the White House’s latest maneuver might mark a turning point — or simply another chapter in a conflict marked by incremental steps and constant setbacks. The announced “Phase Two” offers a sketch of what could be, but turning plans into reality in Gaza is never straightforward. The fragile calm could unravel at any moment, especially if Hamas balks at disarmament or if international troops fail to arrive.

For now, as Witkoff made clear, the world is waiting. The risk is not the absence of grand announcements, but the undertow of missed deadlines and dashed hopes that have so often followed them. That, more than anything, defines the uncertain horizon for Gaza in 2024.

Until recently, the situation in Gaza seemed perilously balanced between fragile ceasefire and the ever-present threat of renewed conflict. This week, however, the calculus shifted again. On Monday, Steve Witkoff, dispatched as President Trump’s latest envoy, strode into a tangle of cameras in Washington and bluntly declared a new phase of the administration’s Gaza initiative was underway.Witkoff, a newcomer to Middle East diplomacy, didn’t mince words. His message was unmistakable: The United States wants Hamas to comply—fully and immediately. This means, above all, returning the body of the last Israeli hostage. “There will be consequences,” Witkoff warned, his tone carrying little patience for ambiguity. For many observers, that statement underlined just how much is still at stake.To understand why Witkoff’s appearance matters, it helps to look back several months. October’s ceasefire, an uneasy truce hammered out under relentless pressure, brought a momentary pause in the violence. Hamas released all surviving hostages; Israel, in turn, eased its presence from Gaza’s urban heart. Yet the guns never truly fell silent. Israeli jets continued their sorties; sporadic clashes erupted in pockets along the border. Civilians—caught as ever in the middle—bear the brunt, relief agencies say.Now, after months of fitful progress, Washington is pressing ahead with what it’s branded “Phase Two.” The details? No simple checklist. The cornerstone is a new governing body, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza—NCAG. Its intended leader is Ali Shaath, a familiar name among West Bank politicians, but a clear outsider to Hamas’s inner circle. The choice is deliberate: Shaath brings ties to Fatah and Mahmoud Abbas, signaling an attempt to pivot Gaza away from its years under militant rule.Hamas, publicly, claims it will relinquish its administrative bid as soon as Shaath’s team takes charge. Private signals are murkier. Skeptics have noted that neither a handover date nor specifics about disarmament have emerged. “There’s a voicelessness about timing,” said a regional analyst I spoke with, reflecting broad uncertainty.Meanwhile, the US plan calls for international peacekeepers. Here, too, the answer is blurry. While the United Nations endorsed the concept in November, the names of contributing nations remain conspicuously absent. Israel, for its part, seems prepared to scale down operations once the foreign troops hit the ground. Whether this will translate into actual withdrawal or another reshuffling of forces remains to be seen.President Abbas, ever eager to assert his authority, quickly lent rhetorical support. In a statement Tuesday, he praised Trump’s efforts and pushed for Jerusalem and the West Bank to be folded into any long-term vision. “Unilateral steps must stop,” Abbas insisted, framing the process as a chance to break years of deadlock. It is a familiar refrain, but one that carries fresh weight as the international community eyes the possibility, however faint, of new governance emerging in Gaza.Complicating all of this is the region’s wider volatility. In Sudan, violence grinds into a third year, with no clear endgame. American and Egyptian diplomats are hustling between capitals, hoping to prevent Sudan’s collapse from spilling over further. Aid shipments managed to puncture the siege in Khartoum this week, but most observers — myself included — read this as the barest of silver linings.At ground level in Gaza, the struggle persists. Hamas’s arsenal is intact, foreign peacekeepers have yet to materialize, and civilians count the weeks between announcements and real change. “People hear plenty about phases, less about food or fuel,” one Gaza doctor told me in an email, her tone heavy with fatigue.There’s also the looming prospect of a new Board of Peace, the members of which President Trump is expected to announce soon. Who will fill those seats could define what comes next: continued stalemate, or the beginnings of genuine transition.In sum, the White House’s latest maneuver might mark a turning point — or simply another chapter in a conflict marked by incremental steps and constant setbacks. The announced “Phase Two” offers a sketch of what could be, but turning plans into reality in Gaza is never straightforward. The fragile calm could unravel at any moment, especially if Hamas balks at disarmament or if international troops fail to arrive.For now, as Witkoff made clear, the world is waiting. The risk is not the absence of grand announcements, but the undertow of missed deadlines and dashed hopes that have so often followed them. That, more than anything, defines the uncertain horizon for Gaza in 2024.