Trump says Hamas received US approval to rearm

• Trump said the US allowed Hamas to “rearm for a period” to restore order in Gaza after months of war.
• He described Gaza as “literally demolished” and noted disputes continue over Hamas’s disarmament timeline.

Trump has said the US is aware that Hamas is “rearming” in Gaza and claimed the group had been given US approval to do so “for a period of time”.

Asked by a reporter on board Air Force One before his arrival in 'Israel' about reports that Hamas was “rearming” and instituting themselves as a Palestinian police force, Trump said the group was attempting to restore order after months of war.

Read more: Macron: Palestinian Authority must have "role in Gaza’s future"

“They’ve been open about it and we gave them approval for a period of time,” he said. “You have to understand – they’ve lost probably 60,000 people. That’s a lot of retribution,” he argued.

According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, 'Israeli' attacks have killed more than 67,000 people, including more than 20,000 children.

Trump also said the US wanted to ensure returning residents could rebuild safely, describing Gaza as “literally demolished” and saying “a lot of bad things can happen” as people return.

The timeline for Hamas’s decommissioning of weapons has become one of the main sticking points within the ceasefire deal, with negotiators divided over how and when disarmament should take place.