"Hamas must IMMEDIATELY honour its commitments, including the return of the final body to Israel, and proceed without delay to full demilitarisation.
"As I have said before, they can do this the easy way, or the hard way. The people of Gaza have suffered long enough. The time is now."
Despite Trump's confidence, Hamas' leadership has long been resolute against disarmament.
Speaking just weeks after the ceasefire was agreed, Hamas co-leader Khalil al-Hayya said it would only lay down its weapons “if the occupation ends”.
And, in December, al-Hayya’s co-leader, Khaled Mashaal, told Al Jazeera: “The idea of total disarmament is unacceptable to the resistance.
"Disarmament for a Palestinian means stripping away his very soul.”
Nonetheless, US officials have briefed reporters that, in private, Hamas' tune is very different, with the group apparently willing to disarm and ready to give up power in Gaza.
It was reported in US media earlier this week that mediators had come up with a phased plan, which would see the group give up all its heavy weapons before a "buyback scheme" for light arms was put in place.
But, during a briefing on Wednesday, one US official said that "heavy weaponry, like RPGs, rocket launchers and missiles" would "need to be put into a place where they’re not being used."
