Trump implies Hamas given approval to act as police force for ‘a period of time’
Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa Dalal returns from Hamas captivity in Gaza. (Photo by Sharon Eilon/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — President Donald Trump implied Hamas has been given approval to act as a Palestinian police force in Gaza “for a period of time” in the wake of implementing phase one of the ceasefire agreement.
While en route to the Middle East early Monday aboard Air Force One, Trump responded to a question from a reporter about reports of Hamas rearming themselves.
“Well, they [Hamas] are standing because they do want to stop the problems, and they’ve been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time,” Trump said.
Trump continued that Palestinians are returning to buildings that have been destroyed, after two years of war, and “a lot of bad things can happen.”
“We want it to be safe. I think it’s going to be fine. Who knows? Who knows for sure?” he said. “But I think it’s going to be fine.”
ABC News has asked the White House for further comment and has not yet received a response.
The first phase of the U.S.-brokered peace deal went into effect on Friday, calling for the return of all living and dead hostages in Gaza in exchange for the release of scores of Palestinian prisoners and a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area.
While Trump’s overall 20-point peace plan proposal calls for the disarmament of Hamas and stipulates the militant group cannot play a role in the future governance of Gaza, these points are not covered by the initial phase of the agreement.
The final 20 remaining living hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, were returned to Israel on Monday as part of an exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, officials said.
On Monday, Trump said negotiations on phase two of the peace plan for Gaza had “started,” though he did not specify what that entailed.
“I mean, it started as far as we’re concerned,” Trump said during remarks in Egypt, where he attended a signing ceremony after addressing the Israeli Knesset earlier in the day. “Phase two has started. And, you know, the phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other. You’re gonna start cleaning up. You look at Gaza — it needs a lot of cleanup.”
ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston contributed to this report.
Workers describe the housing the Bangladesh government is building for thousands of Rohingya refugees. ABC
(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is asserting that it has secured substantial financial commitments for the Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh from partner nations as reports claim that U.S. foreign aid cutbacks have worsened the crisis facing the persecuted group, according to a State Department document obtained exclusively by ABC News.
Per the document, the State Department says it has secured $64.6 million in aid commitments from partner countries in September alone, marking what it calls “a significant development in the Trump administration’s effort to encourage burden sharing with other nations to address humanitarian crises across the globe.”
State Department data indicates that 11 countries, including the U.K., Bangladesh, Japan, Qatar, Australia, Thailand, South Korea, and the Netherlands, have increased their aid to the Rohingya people by more than 10% under the Trump administration in 2025 compared to the last year of the Biden administration, the document states.
The level of influence the Trump administration had over the uptick in aid from these foreign governments is not clear.
The Trump administration also pledged more funding to support Rohingya refugees in September, committing $60 million to the cause in addition to $73 in new assistance announced in March.
In 2024, the final year of the Biden administration, the U.S. contributed just over $300 million to the Rohingya, over 50% of total support for that year, records show.
“The Trump administration has continuously called on nations around the world to join the United States in offering humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations like Rohingya refugees,” a senior State Department official said. “The media narrative that the obligation to provide aid falls solely on the Trump Administration is tired and ignores the reality that many other countries, including regional actors, have repeatedly failed to step up.”
The State Department’s push to ramp up foreign aid for the Rohingya comes as the AP has published a report asserting that Rohingya children have died in a camp located in Myanmar because of the Trump administration’s USAID cuts. (Notably, the report covers impact to Rohingya children in Myanmar; the Trump administration’s fundraising efforts have focused on supporting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.)
“Let me be absolutely clear: the Associated Press’ claim that children are dying because of recalibrated U.S. foreign assistance levels is completely false and downright irresponsible,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
A boy holds one of the leaflets dropped by the Israeli military in Gaza City, on September 9, 2025, urging evacuation south to al-Mawasi. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(GAZA, JERUSALEM and LONDON) — Israel on Tuesday issued an order calling for residents of Gaza City to evacuate, saying the Israeli military will operate “with great force” within the city.
“Staying in the city is extremely dangerous,” Avichay Adraee, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said on social media.
The order and warnings followed an approval by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of a plan to seize Gaza City, the largest city in the under-siege enclave. Israel began ground operations within the city about a week ago.
Israeli officials said the planned seizure is part of its military objective to eliminate Hamas, the terrorist organization that it’s been fighting in Gaza since October 2023.
Despite the severe situation and evacuation warnings, there are still a significant number of residents who remain in the city who have cited different reasons for staying, including not being able to afford the costs of evacuation and transportation.
Others told ABC News they’ve stayed because they’ve heard there’s a severe shortage of space for tents in the humanitarian zone — or that they don’t know if they would be safe after an evacuation.
Adraee said residents of Gaza City and “all its neighorhoods” should evacuate immediately. They should travel south toward Al-Mawasi, a coastal area that’s been designated as a humanitarian zone, he said.
The evacuation order followed a warning issued on Monday by Netanyahu. In a video message posted on Telegram, he spoke directly to the residents of the city.
“Listen carefully: You have been warned,” Netanyahu said. “Leave now.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with Martha Raddatz of ABC News on This Week. (ABC News)
(LONDON) — Ukraine is being shaken by one of the biggest wartime corruption scandals since Russia’s invasion three years ago, after investigators raided the homes of top officials and a former business partner of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of an investigation into an alleged sprawling corruption scheme in the country’s energy sector.
Ukraine’s main anti-corruption agencies on Monday announced they had uncovered the “high-level” scheme that included corruption at Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company Energoatom. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau said it has proof that the scheme had elicited kickbacks worth $100 million from contractors hired to build defenses for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to protect it from Russian attacks. That is likely to draw particular outrage from Ukrainians as it affects the efforts to guard the country’s power systems, as they come under sustained attack from Russia.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed that Justice Minister German Galushenko — who previously served as the energy minister — was under investigation and had been removed from his position.
In a statement posted to Facebook, Galushenko said he agreed with the decision. “I believe that the suspension for the time of investigation is a civilized and correct scenario,” he said. “I will defend myself in the legal arena and prove my position.”
On Tuesday, NABU said it had detained five individuals and notified seven “members of the organization of their status as suspects,” saying they included “a businessman who is the head of the criminal organization” and “a former advisor to the minister of energy,” as well as a former deputy prime minister.
The agencies hadn’t initially named the individuals, but Ukrainian media reported one is the former business partner and close associate of Zelenskyy, Tymur Mindich.
A wealthy businessman, Mindich co-owned Zelenskyy’s production company, Kvartal 95, from the president’s years as an actor until Zelenskyy transferred ownership when he was elected. He has previously faced allegations of exploiting his connections with the president, according to Ukrainian media.
On Tuesday, prosecutors from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors’ Office reportedly named Mindich, along with six others, during an arraignment hearing for one of the suspects in the energy scheme, according to local media.
NABU said it had raided Mindich’s house on Monday but that he had fled the country, prompting speculation he could have been tipped off.
Ukrainian media also report that the FBI is now also investigating Mindich. ABC News has reached out to the FBI for a comment.
Ukraine’s Justice Ministry on Tuesday confirmed that Galushenko was also part of the investigation after it was reported that NABU agents had raided his home.
So far, there have been no allegations that Zelenskyy knew of the scheme or was involved in profiting from it. But he is facing intense pressure to show he is acting and will not cover for his associates.
More details of the alleged scheme are emerging as prosecutors lay out evidence in arraignment hearings against one of the detained suspects. On Wednesday, prosecutors said Mindich had texted Zelenskyy asking him to speak with Galushenko shortly before a call took place.
That appears to be the first evidence that Mindich was in contact with Zelenskyy amid the scheme. The allegations so far imply Mindich was seeking to exploit his connection with the president for his own benefit.
The allegations against a former close associate are potentially embarrassing for the president and have prompted warnings from anti-corruption activists that Zelenskyy must ensure the investigation is allowed to proceed.
Zelenskyy this summer moved to take more control over the same anti-corruption agencies now investigating the energy sector corruption scheme. That attempt triggered the first mass protests of the war and criticism from European allies, forcing Zelenskyy to back down.
The new allegations come at a moment when Ukraine is struggling to protect its energy infrastructure from the heaviest Russian attacks of the war, which have left most of the country frequently living with rolling blackouts. Zelenskyy has been seeking financial support from Western countries to help restore the system and provide greater defenses.
The scandal could also risk reigniting problems for Zelenskyy with President Donald Trump, given some influential right-wing allies have long accused the Ukrainian leader of corruption. The alleged involvement of senior government ministers could also hurt morale among Ukraine’s public amid the war.
Zelenskyy on Monday expressed support for the investigations and said convictions must follow.
“Everyone who has built corrupt schemes must face a clear procedural response,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. “There must be convictions. And government officials must work together with NABU and law enforcement bodies — and do it in a way that delivers real results.
Prominent Ukrainian anti-corruption activists have now said the president must prove that he will hold his associates accountable.
Daria Kaleniuk, a veteran campaigner, wrote that if there are fresh moves against the anti-corruption agencies, NABU and SAPO, “it will be a clear sign that the president decided to cover up his friends instead of supporting justice and interests of the nation of Ukraine.”
ABC News’ Fidel Pavlenko, Dada Jovanovic and Somayeh Malekian contributed to this report.
