The US president warned ‘all hell is going to break out’ if the hostages in Hamas’s custody were not released, adding that he feared many were dead
Hamas has issued a defiant response to Donald Trump’s threat that “all hell is going to break loose” if all Israeli hostages are not released by Saturday.
The US President issued an ultimatum to those holding the remaining 76 people captive, vowing to take action if they were not freed at the weekend. Trump said he would move to end the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas if all of the remaining hostages were not released by Saturday.
He said that “all hell is going to break out” if the hostages in Hamas’s custody were not released, adding that he feared many were dead. Asked for details on what that meant, the president responded: “You’ll find out, and they’ll find out, too. Hamas will find out what I mean.”
“I’d say they ought to be returned by 12 o’clock on Saturday.” Trump then added. “All of them, not in drips and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two.” His words came after Hamas announced on Monday it was pausing the release of hostages until further notice.
But now, responding to the president’s threat, the group’s official Sami Abu Zuhri said: “Trump must remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties, and this is the only way to bring back the prisoners. The language of threats has no value and only complicates matters.”
The Islamic Resistance Movement has accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire deal by blocking Palestinians from returning to their homes and shelling civilians. Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, accused Israel of systematically violating the ceasefire agreement over the past three weeks and said Saturday’s release would be delayed.
Obeida said Israel had delayed displaced Palestinians in the south of Gaza returning to the north, accusing it of targeting civilians “with shelling and gunfire”. He added that Israel had not allowed the agreed amount of humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip, demanding “retroactive compensation” for what Hamas considered were breaches of the ceasefire deal.
Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, called the announcement a “complete violation of the ceasefire agreement” and placed the Israel Defence Forces on high alert. Trump said ending the ceasefire that took effect on January 19 would be “Israel’s decision,” but that he felt it would be “appropriate” to cancel the agreement if the hostages weren’t released by his deadline.
Under the terms of the ceasefire deal negotiated by the US, Qatar and Egypt, a total of 33 Israeli hostages were to be released during a six-week first phase in exchange for the release of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Three weeks into phase one of the agreement, about half of the hostages due to be released have been freed, which is in line with the agreement’s schedule. There are 76 hostages still held by Hamas or its allies in Gaza. On Tuesday, the IDF announced that the oldest one of them, 86-year-old Shlomo Mantzur, had been murdered by Hamas.
Trump made his comments about the hostages while signing executive orders on Monday at the White House.