President Trump issued an ultimatum to Hamas, demanding the immediate release of all hostages held in Gaza or face the termination of the fragile ceasefire agreement. Trump's comments, made after Hamas delayed further hostage releases, indicated a hardline stance and raised concerns about the stability of the already precarious situation in the region.
President Donald Trump stated on Monday that the fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas should be terminated if Hamas fails to release all remaining hostages held in Gaza by midday on Saturday. However, he also emphasized that the ultimate decision regarding this matter rested with Israel . Trump 's remarks followed Hamas 's announcement that it would delay the further release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, citing Israel 's alleged violation of the three-week-old ceasefire.
Trump asserted that after the recent release of three visibly emaciated hostages, Israel should insist on the immediate release of all hostages by Saturday noon or resume hostilities. 'If they're not here, all hell is going to break out,' Trump declared. He added concerning the ceasefire, 'Cancel it, and all bets are off.' While acknowledging that the final decision lay with Israel, Trump clarified, 'I'm speaking for myself. Israel can override it.' He further hinted at potential U.S. involvement in a response to Hamas if hostages remained unfreed, stating, 'Hamas will find out what I mean.' These comments came after Trump revealed in an interview with Fox News Channel that Palestinians in Gaza would not have the right to return under his proposed plan for U.S. 'ownership' of the conflict-ridden territory. This contradicted statements from other officials within his administration who had attempted to portray Trump's plan as merely advocating for the temporary relocation of the population. Less than a week after suggesting the U.S. take control of Gaza and transform it into 'the Riviera of the Middle East,' Trump, during an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, affirmed, 'No, they wouldn't' when questioned about Palestinians in Gaza regaining access to the territory. This stance comes as he has intensified pressure on Arab nations, particularly U.S. allies Jordan and Egypt, to accept Palestinians from Gaza, who view the territory as integral to their future homeland. 'We’ll build safe communities, a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is,' Trump explained. 'In the meantime, I would own this. Think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land. No big money spent.' Arab nations have vehemently criticized Trump's proposal, and he is scheduled to host Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday. Beyond concerns about potentially undermining the long-standing objective of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Egypt and Jordan have privately expressed security anxieties regarding the influx of substantial numbers of refugees into their countries, even temporarily. When asked about his strategy to persuade Abdullah to accept Palestinians, Trump stated to reporters, 'I do think he’ll take, and I think other countries will take also. They have good hearts.' However, he also issued a veiled threat, suggesting that he might withhold billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Jordan and Egypt if they failed to comply with his plan. Trump's comments risked jeopardizing the already precarious ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, established after 15 months of unrelenting conflict. The existing framework for negotiations stipulates substantial humanitarian and reconstruction assistance for civilians in Gaza. Following Trump's initial remarks last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to clarify, asserting that Trump only desired the temporary relocation of Palestinians from Gaza for a specific period to facilitate debris removal, the disposal of unexploded ordnance, and reconstruction. In a video message released Saturday after Hamas freed the latest hostages, Rachel and Jon Goldberg-Polin, the parents of slain American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, appealed to Trump and his negotiating team to adopt a more aggressive and expedited approach, urging them to demand the release of all remaining hostages this week. 'All 76 hostages out this week,' they implored. 'End of war. Who benefits from dragging it out for so long? Not the people of this region. Let’s get it done right now.' Trump last week did not rule out deploying U.S. troops to assist in securing Gaza but simultaneously insisted that no U.S. funds would be allocated for the reconstruction of the territory, raising fundamental questions about the nature of his plan. Egypt on Monday reiterated its opposition to the transfer of Palestinians from their territories in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, warning that such proposals threaten 'the foundations of people' in the Middle East
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