Rabat – US President Donald Trump released a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, threatening Hamas and the Palestinian people in Gaza as he demanded the release of all Israeli captives held in the war-torn territory.
“To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!” Trump said.
It is unclear what he means by “beautiful future,” as he recently said he wants to “clean out Gaza” and relocate Palestinians to neighbouring countries.
The president also warned Hamas and demanded the immediate release of all hostages and dead bodies, “or it is OVER for you.”
He added that he is “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job” and ensure that “not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.”
Trump urged the group to leave Gaza “while you still have the chance,” saying it is their “last warning.”
This was the latest in a series of threats the US president has issued, but Hamas insists that it will only release captives as part of the ceasefire agreement.
The deal has stalled after the first stage ended last week, with Israel refusing to proceed to the next stage, which would have led to a permanent ceasefire and the release of all captives. Instead, Israel, backed by Trump, has sought to extend the first phase to secure more captives without committing to a lasting ceasefire.
Trump’s warning came just hours after the White House confirmed reports about ongoing “secret” talks between Trump’s administration and Hamas regarding the release of US hostages in Gaza.
According to Axios, the talks aimed to find a possible deal to end the devastating war on Gaza. The unprecedented talks reportedly took place in Doha in recent weeks.
