Donald Trump has left open the possibility of giving Israel the “green light” to resume military operations in Gaza if Hamas does not abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

“Israel will return to those roads as soon as I say so. If he could go in and take them out, he would,” Trump reportedly said in a brief phone call with CNN when asked what would happen if Hamas refused to disarm.

“What’s going on with Hamas is going to be sorted out quickly,” Trump said.

The president’s remarks come as Israel accuses Hamas of not complying with the deal, which calls for the handover of hostages, dead and alive, as part of an agreement to end the conflict in Gaza.

Hamas’s stance has angered Israel, where authorities have told the UN that humanitarian aid to Gaza will be reduced or delayed because of the small number of hostage bodies that have been handed over.

However, for now, the fragile ceasefire remains in place.

The fourth point of Trump’s peace plan states that “within 72 hours of Israel’s public acceptance of the agreement, all hostages, living and dead, will be returned.”

By Wednesday morning, all 20 living Israeli hostages had returned to Israel, but Hamas had turned over only four bodies, while the Israeli military said one of them did not belong to an Israeli hostage.

According to a source who spoke to CNN, four to five more bodies are expected to be returned Wednesday night.

At the same time, when asked whether Hamas executes innocent people, the American president replied: “I’m investigating.” “We’ll find out. It could be gangs or something more,” he added.

The sixth point of President Trump’s peace plan states that “once all hostages are returned, members of Hamas who commit to peaceful coexistence and surrender their weapons will be granted amnesty. Hamas members who wish to leave Gaza will have safe passage to host countries.”

“What if Hamas refuses to disarm?” CNN asked the US president.

“I’m thinking about it,” Trump replied. “Israel will return to these streets as soon as I say so. If Israel could come in and hit them, they would do that.”

“I had to hold them back,” Trump added, referring to the Israel Defense Forces and the Netanyahu government. “I had made it clear with Bibii.”

Trump, however, appeared optimistic about the long-term prospects for peace, especially thanks to the support he is receiving from other countries in the region.

“Fifty-nine countries are participating in this,” he said, referring to the ceasefire agreement, apparently referring to those who attended the signing ceremony of the “Trump Peace Agreement” in Egypt or expressed support for its principles. “We have never seen anything like this before. Now everything is happening. They want to be part of the Abrahamic Covenants. Now that Iran is not a problem.”

Trump also said he continues to work to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit the White House on Friday.

“I’m working hard on the Russian issue,” Trump said, when asked which would be a greater achievement, peace in the Middle East or peace between Russia and Ukraine. The reporter noted that conflict in the Middle East has historically proven much more difficult to end.” “Right,” said the president. “One war lasts three years, the other three thousand.”