US President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to “go in and kill” Hamas if it keeps killing people in Gaza, in an apparent reference to recent shootings of Palestinian civilians following a ceasefire deal with Israel.

Trump’s comments come just days after he said that the Hamas shootings – which include public executions – “didn’t bother me much” and described them as killings of gang members.

“If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” Trump said in a social media post.

Trump did not elaborate on what he meant by “we”. But he said on Wednesday that “we won’t need the US military” to be involved in Gaza.

Since the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces in Gaza under the US-backed 20-point ceasefire deal, Hamas has been tightening its grip on ruined cities, launching a crackdown and executing alleged collaborators in the street.

The top US commander in the Middle East, Admiral Brad Cooper, had demanded on Wednesday that Hamas stop shooting Palestinian civilians and adhere to Trump’s plan.