US President Donald Trump warned on Monday (Oct 20) that Hamas would be “eradicated” if it breaks the fragile ceasefire with Israel, even as the United Nations and Israeli officials called for restraint after a weekend of renewed violence in Gaza.

“We made a deal with Hamas that they’re going to be very good, they’re going to behave, they’re going to be nice,” Trump told reporters at the White House while hosting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“And if they’re not, we’re going to go and we’re going to eradicate them, if we have to. They’ll be eradicated, and they know that.”

Trump said American troops would not take part in any new operation, stressing that dozens of countries had already committed troops to an international stabilisation force for Gaza.

“You have Israel that would go in in two minutes if I asked them to,” he said. “But right now, we haven’t said that. We’re going to give it a little chance, and hopefully there will be less violence.”

Trump said Hamas was now far weaker than before and claimed Iran, who is the group’s main regional backer, was unlikely to intervene after US and Israeli strikes earlier this year.

“Hamas knows this is their last chance to act like human beings,” he said.