Trump threatens to kill Palestinians in Gaza, Hamas if Israeli captives aren’t released
US President Donald Trump has threatened that the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and members of the Hamas resistance group will be killed if they do not immediately release the remaining Israeli captives held in the besieged territory.
Trump issued the warning in a social media post on Wednesday after meeting eight freed captives at the White House.
“Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies ..., or it is OVER for you,” he said.
The US president also reiterated Washington's full military assistance to Israel, which is worth billions of dollars, saying, “I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say."
He further warned that there would be “hell to pay” if the Israeli captives are not released immediately.
“This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance,” he added. “Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!"
The post came hours after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the US has been negotiating directly with Hamas to try to secure the release of the captives.
Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, after Hamas carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
The Tel Aviv regime failed to achieve its declared objectives of freeing captives and eliminating Hamas despite killing at least 48,440 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza.
Israel accepted Hamas’s longstanding negotiation terms under a three-phase Gaza ceasefire, which began on January 19.
In phase one, which ended on Saturday, a total of 33 Israeli captives, including eight bodies, were released in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian abductees held in the regime’s jails.
However, Israel refused to move forward to the second stage of the truce, which would lead to a permanent end to the war, a full withdrawal of the occupation troops from Gaza, and the release of all captives.
Hamas said Israel had been violating the agreement by “evading the commitment to end the war and withdraw completely from Gaza.”
After the expiry of the first phase of the ceasefire, Israel blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza in flagrant breach of international law.
The blocking has also been condemned as a crime against humanity.
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