Trump warns Hamas must disarm for Gaza peace deal to reach next phase

Nick Schifrin:

Welcome to the "News Hour."

The United States has launched its first ground attack against Venezuela since the administration began its campaign to combat drug trafficking and pressure President Nicolas Maduro. We don't have many details, but President Trump confirmed the explosion today and said the target was along Venezuela's shore.

President Donald Trump:

There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs. So we hit all the boats. And now we hit the area. It's the implementation area. That's where they implement. And that is no longer around.

Nick Schifrin:

This week, the U.S. deployed even more military assets to the Caribbean, adding to what is already the largest deployment of the U.S. Navy to that region in half-a-century. It's allowed the U.S. to strike at least 29 alleged drug boats and seize two sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers and pursue a third.

But the president wasn't focused only on Venezuela. Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Trump that Ukraine had tried to attack one of his residences. That's a claim that Trump accepted.

Donald Trump:

It's a delicate period of time. This is not the right time. It's one thing to be offensive, because they're offensive. It's another thing to attack his house. It's not the right time to do any of that, and can't do it.

Nick Schifrin:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today strongly denied that Ukraine had launched the attack, calling it -- quote -- "an obviously fake story that will only justify Russia's refusal to end the war."

And when it comes to the Middle East, today, President Trump threatened to restart war in Iran, accusing the country of -- quote -- "trying to build up again." And the president, who has declared himself the president of peace, said Hamas must disarm before any progress can be made at finalizing a peace deal in Gaza.

This week, storm clouds loomed over Southern Gaza, its sea of humanity huddled in canvas homes, anxious about tomorrow. And thunderstorms has flooded makeshift neighborhoods and tents where floors turned to mud and babies were wrapped up to protect from the cold.

The U.N. says 80 percent of Gaza is in ruins. There's a U.S. plan to reconstruct, but President Trump said today the first move was Hamas'.

Donald Trump:

If they don't disarm, as they agreed to do, they agreed to it, and then they will be hell to pay for them. And we don't want that. I'm not concerned about anything that Israel's doing. I'm concerned about what other people are doing or maybe aren't doing.

Nick Schifrin:

The cease-fire agreement requires Hamas to disarm, but the group maintains it has a right to armed resistance, although it has discussed freezing or storing its arsenal. The cease-fire also requires all military operations suspended. The Palestinians accuse Israel of launching hundreds of attacks that since the cease-fire began have killed more than 400.

Israel says they're responding to Hamas' violations, including fighters crossing over from the western side of the yellow line to the Israeli-controlled eastern side. Senior U.S. and European officials say the plan for phase two is to rebuild Rafah and Eastern Gaza, not Western Gaza, to persuade Palestinians to leave their destroyed Western Gaza homes and cross the yellow line, while handing over weapons for cash.

The idea, isolate Hamas in Western Gaza, making them an easier target. At the same time, Israeli forces would withdraw from their bases along the yellow line to be replaced by countries that officials say could include Italy, Azerbaijan and Indonesia.

Today, President Trump suggested Arab countries that supported the cease-fire could themselves disarm Hamas.

Donald Trump:

Because they were for the deal based on the fact that Hamas pledged, they swore that they were going to disarm. Now, if they're not going to disarm, those same countries will wipe out Hamas.

Nick Schifrin:

But U.S. officials say there is no final deal with those or any countries to actually deploy into Gaza. And there's also no agreement on Gaza's future governance, which, in addition to a Trump-led Board of Peace, requires the naming of an apolitical Palestinian committee.