Trump Threatens “All Hell” if Hamas Doesn’t Release Remaining Hostages
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is hanging in the balance after US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to the Palestinian militant group, demanding the immediate release of all remaining hostages, NBC News reports.
Trump’s threat, made on Tuesday, raises concerns that the pause in fighting could collapse, potentially triggering a renewed escalation of the conflict.
The current ceasefire, brokered through a complex agreement, involves the incremental exchange of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel. However, Hamas announced late Monday the indefinite postponement of the next scheduled hostage-prisoner swap, citing alleged Israeli violations, including continued shootings at Palestinians, preventing their return to northern Gaza, and delays in the entry of medical supplies and shelters.
An exchange slated for this Saturday was expected to see three more hostages freed. Trump, however, responded with a demand for the release of all 76 remaining captives, 44 of whom are believed to be alive. When pressed for details regarding the meaning of his “all hell” warning, Trump stated that “Hamas will find out what I mean.”
The prospect of a return to fighting has sparked alarm among international observers, Palestinians within Gaza, and the families of the hostages, many of whom were among the 250 kidnapped during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people in Israel. The conflict in Gaza has already claimed the lives of over 48,000 Palestinians, according to reports.
Trump’s stance has fueled pre-existing anxieties. His previous pronouncements regarding the permanent removal of Palestinians from Gaza to allow for U.S. real estate development in the warzone have been widely condemned as a potential violation of international law, specifically the prohibition against forced displacement and ethnic cleansing. He also reportedly suggested he could withhold aid from Egypt and Jordan if they refused to resettle Gaza’s population of over 2 million people.
In response to Hamas’s announcement, Israel has heightened security measures. Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to “prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza,” labeling Hamas’s statement as “a complete violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
Trump’s implied threat has resonated with far-right nationalist lawmakers in Israel. Itamar Ben Gvir, former national security minister, expressed his support on X, stating, “Trump is right!” and urging a return to Gaza to “destroy” Hamas.
Conversely, many families of the hostages are desperately hoping to preserve the ceasefire. The mother of one captive son, whose 24th birthday was marked on Monday, revealed she had just received the first “proof of life” since his abduction.
