US President Donald Trump made an unambiguous statement on Monday, warning that ‘all hell will break out’ if Hamas does not release the remaining Israeli hostages by Saturday at 12 o’clock. In a tense news briefing held in the Oval Office, Trump stressed that Hamas would face severe consequences if they failed to meet the deadline.
His declaration marks a significant escalation in the rhetoric surrounding the ongoing hostage crisis.
Out of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas during their attack on October 7, 2023, 73 are still in captivity. Israel has declared 34 of them dead, while the rest have been released in a series of deals. The most recent batch of hostages was freed last Saturday in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners.
Despite the releases, the remaining hostages continue to endure uncertainty and fear under Hamas’s control.
Israeli officials have described the condition of the hostages released in recent days as ‘shocking.’ Trump, visibly distressed by the images, compared the released hostages to Holocaust survivors, emphasizing the physical and emotional toll endured by the captives.
He suggested that Hamas likely kept these particular hostages in better health than the others, which is why they prioritized their release. This release, according to Trump, may have been a strategic move by Hamas to avoid the negative image of displaying those in worse condition.
Trump made it clear that Saturday at 12 o’clock was the cutoff time for Hamas to return all of the hostages. He underscored that his ultimatum was personal, though he acknowledged that Israel could ultimately make the final decision regarding how to handle the situation.
However, he made it clear, stating that if the hostages did not return by the deadline, ‘all bets are off,’ signaling potential severe actions. Trump’s words reflect growing frustration with Hamas’s continued detention of innocent civilians and the perceived lack of progress.
The warning from Trump came after a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where Egypt rejected any compromise that would infringe upon Palestinians’ rights.
Egypt’s firm stance on Palestinian rights further complicates the diplomatic environment, as the US seeks to balance support for Israel with the broader geopolitical concerns surrounding the Middle East conflict.
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