US President Donald Trump on Monday warned Hamas that “all hell will break loose” following its threats to postpone exchange of hostages under ceasefire deal with Israel.
Trump gave the militant outfit an ultimatum to release all remaining hostages by noon Saturday, or he would allow Israel to cancel the ongoing cease-fire.
“But as far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday 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,” Trump said.
“I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it,” he added.
Earlier, a spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement earlier Monday that the next hostage release, “which was scheduled for next Saturday, February 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice”.
Hamas said the resumption of hostage-prisoner exchanges was “pending the (Israeli) occupation’s compliance and retroactive fulfilment of the past weeks’ obligations”.
The truce that went into effect on January 19 largely halted more than 15 months of fighting in the Gaza Strip and saw five groups of Israeli hostages freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli custody.
The ceasefire agreement says staggered releases should take place over the ongoing 42-day first phase of the deal.
The group accuses Israel of failing to carry out its commitments under the truce in time and of violating the ceasefire, including on humanitarian aid deliveries and after the Sunday deaths of three Gazans.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump reiterated his plan for the United States to take control of Gaza, describing the war-torn enclave as a “big real estate site” and suggesting that Arab nations would absorb displaced Palestinians.
“I’m committed to buying and owning Gaza,” Trump told reporters.
“As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it. Other people may do it through our auspices. But we’re committed to owning it, taking it, and making sure that Hamas doesn’t move back.
There’s nothing to move back into. The place is a demolition site. The remainder will be demolished”, he added.