US President Donald Trump suggested Monday, 10th February, that Israel end a ceasefire in Gaza and resume fighting if all remaining hostages are not freed by the end of the week, after the Hamas terror group said it was delaying the release of hostages slated for Saturday, 15th February, placing fresh doubts on whether the fraught truce will hold.
Speaking to reporters, Trump conceded that Israel might want to override him on the ultimatum and the Saturday noon deadline, adding that he might speak to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But expressed fears for the fates of those still being held captive, predicting that many would not survive if not released in the coming days.
“As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock, I think it’s an appropriate time. I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out. I’d say they ought to be returned by 12 o’clock on Saturday,” Trump said.
His comments came hours after Hamas announced that it intended to delay the next release of Israeli hostages planned for Saturday, “until further notice,” in response to what it claimed were Israeli violations of the ongoing hostage-ceasefire deal.
In his latest free-wheeling session in the Oval Office, Trump expressed frustration with the physical condition of three male hostages freed Saturday looking gaunt and emaciated, and with mental abuse they were subjected to. The president appeared to back off support for the staggered releases agreed to by Israel and Hamas under the truce, despite having been a driving force behind the ceasefire and hostage release deal before it went into effect on 19th January.
“We want them all back,” he said, rejecting releases “in drips and drabs.”
“Based on what I saw over the last two days, they’re not going to be alive for long,” Trump added. “Saturday at 12 o’clock, and after that, it’s going to be a different ball game.”
The fiery threat echoed Trump’s warnings before entering office of “all hell breaking loose” if no ceasefire deal was reached by 20th January. “Hamas will find out what I mean… These are sick people, and they’ll find out what I mean [on] Saturday at 12,” he said when pressed for details Monday.
Hamas has so far released 16 Israelis under the first phase of the deal in exchange for Israel freeing hundreds of Palestinian security detainees. Another five Thai hostages were also released under a side agreement.
Remaining in Gaza are 73 of the 251 people abducted by Hamas during its 7th October onslaught — when the terror group invaded southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, starting the war, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.
A total of 33 Israelis are slated to be released in the first phase of the deal. Negotiations are meant to be underway regarding further hostage releases and an Israeli military withdrawal from the Strip as part of subsequent stages of the deal.
But on Monday, Hamas military wing spokesman Hudhaifa Kahlout — known by the nom de guerre, “Abu Obeida” — said that Israel had not fulfilled its obligations under the agreement over the past three weeks, claiming that the Israel Defense Forces are obstructing the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and targeting Palestinians returning to the north of the Strip.
“We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation adheres to them,” the spokesman added. In a subsequent statement, the terror group said it was open to fulfilling the release on time if Israel ceases its ostensible violations. It said it had intentionally made the announcement five days ahead of the planned release “to give the mediators sufficient opportunity to pressure the occupation to implement its obligations, and to keep the door open to implement the exchange on time if the occupation adheres to its obligations.”
The announcement prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move up a planned meeting of his high-level security cabinet, and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on high alert.
