Trump Threatens Hamas: “Release Hostages or Face Elimination”
U.S. President Donald Trump demands Hamas release all hostages, warning of military action while Hamas proposes a comprehensive deal to end the war.
Watan-Late on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, vowing to kill all its members if it does not release the hostages it holds in Gaza. He also called on the group’s leadership to leave the Strip “immediately.”
Trump issued a statement on his official platform, declaring that Hamas must “release all hostages immediately and return the dead, or their fate is sealed.” He added that his administration has “sent Israel everything it needs to finish the mission against Hamas.”
Direct Talks in Doha
This comes after Hamas engaged in negotiations in Doha, Qatar, with a representative of the U.S. administration. A senior Hamas source stated that the direct talks, attended by Adam Boehler, Trump’s envoy for hostage affairs, followed Trump’s statement two weeks ago urging Hamas to show goodwill by releasing American hostages.
Following Trump’s call for a goodwill gesture at the start of negotiations, Hamas released Israeli-American captive Sagui Dekel Chen as part of the sixth batch of prisoners freed in the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire agreement. The Hamas official revealed that during the talks, the group proposed a comprehensive deal that would lead to an end to the war. He also emphasized that the captives whom the U.S. is demanding be released were combat soldiers captured from military sites, not civilians, and their number ranges between four and six.
Trump’s Administration Pursues a Deal
The Hamas official disclosed that Trump’s administration had not been the first to attempt such negotiations. He pointed out that former U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration had also made unsuccessful attempts before the U.S. elections, realizing that reaching an agreement was difficult under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the time, the Biden administration sought a partial deal to secure the release of American captives.
Stalled Ceasefire Agreement & Humanitarian Crisis
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which lasted 42 days, ended last Saturday. However, the transition to the second phase has stalled due to Israeli delays and Netanyahu’s government attempting to back out of the deal. While full-scale war has not resumed, Israel has halted all humanitarian aid to Gaza, where an estimated 1.9 million Palestinians—about 90% of the population—have been displaced due to the war. The risk of famine is now looming.
