US President Donald Trump has warned the Hamas terror group to release all remaining hostages by noon Saturday, or he would allow Israel to cancel the ongoing cease-fire and “let hell break out” in the Middle East.
“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,” the president told reporters on Monday night in the Oval Office, without specifying what time zone the deadline would apply to.
“I’d say they ought to be returned by 12 o’clock on Saturday. And if they’re not returned,all of them, not in dribs and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two, by Saturday at 12 o’clock. And after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out.”
Trump did not rule out sending US troops to the region,telling reporters, “We’ll see what happens”, and did not expand on what he meant by “all hell is going to break out.”
“You’ll find out, and they’ll find out too. Hamas will find out what I mean,” he said, also without revealing whether he was referring to Israeli or US military force.
Trump later said he was speaking for “myself” and emphasised that Israel had the right to “override” any statement he made.
“But from myself, Saturday at 12 o’clock, and if they’re not, they’re not here, all hell is going to break out,” the president reiterated.
Trump said he feared many, if not all, of the dozens of remaining hostages were dead and accused Hamas of mistreating those who had been released.
Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy, three Israelis who were given freedom by Hamas on Saturday, were severely malnutritioned and had lost significant weight while being held captive during the last 16 months.
Based on what I saw over the last few days, they’re not going to be alive for long,” Trump said, after previously comparing the released men’s state to that of “Holocaust victims.”
Hamas announced earlier Monday it was scrapping a scheduled hostage release for this weekend, arguing that Israel had not lived up to its side of the deal.
Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for Hamas’ military section, said the terror group wanted something in return for Israel allegedly breaking its cease-fire agreement.
“Hostages who were scheduled to be released next Saturday … will be postponed until further notice, and until the occupation commits to and compensates for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively,” Obeida wrote on X.
Hamas’ propaganda office in Gaza accused Israel on Monday of not sending adequate humanitarian supplies to the Mediterranean territory,especially in the north, where much of the infrastructure is destroyed.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz criticized Hamas’ message as an “outright violation of the cease-fire,” per the Times of Israel.
In a recent development, Hamas has announced a delay in the release of additional Israeli hostages, citing alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement. Hamas accuses Israel of delaying the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, targeting civilians, and obstructing humanitarian aid. In response, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has condemned Hamas’s actions as a complete violation of the ceasefire and has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for any possible scenario in Gaza.
This escalation has led to mass protests in Israel, with families of the hostages demanding that the government extend the ceasefire and negotiate further for the release of their loved ones. The situation remains tense as the international community watches closely, hoping for a peaceful resolution.
The international community has expressed concern over the potential collapse of the ceasefire. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged Hamas to continue with the planned release of hostages and emphasized the need to avoid a resumption of hostilities that would lead to immense tragedy.
As the Saturday deadline approaches, the world watches with bated breath. Will Hamas heed the warnings and release the remaining hostages, or are we on the brink of renewed conflict in the Middle East?
