KEY POINTS
- Donald Trump threatens further destruction of Gaza
- Trump demands Hamas leadership flee Gaza, calling it their last warning
- The US confirmed indirect talks with Hamas
- Trump warns Gaza’s population: “If you hold hostages, you are dead”
- Netanyahu threatens severe consequences for Gaza
- Hamas accuses Trump of supporting Netanyahu’s siege on Gaza
- Over 48,440 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza
- The UN and European nations urge Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened further destruction of Gaza if all remaining hostages are not released, and issued an ultimatum to Hamas leaders to flee.
The United States, meanwhile, confirmed unprecedented indirect talks with Hamas focused on American hostages in Gaza.
Strongly backing Israel as the ceasefire teeters, Trump said he was “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job” as his administration expedites billions of dollars in weapons.
“Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is over for you,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform after meeting freed hostages.
“This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance.”
Trump also warned of repercussions for Gaza as a whole, where virtually the entire population has been displaced by Israel’s relentless bombardment campaign in response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.
“To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are dead!”
His comments follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s warning of “consequences that you cannot imagine” if Hamas does not hand over the remaining hostages.
The first phase of a ceasefire ended over the weekend after six weeks of relative calm that included exchanges of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Hamas slams Trump’s threats
Hamas said on Thursday that Trump’s repeated threats against Palestinians constituted support for Netanyahu to back out of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and intensify the siege and starvation on Gazans.
While Israel has said it wants to extend the first phase until mid-April, Hamas has insisted on a transition to the second phase, which should lead to a lasting ceasefire.
Israel has ramped up pressure not just with threats but also by halting the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“Hamas has indeed suffered a severe blow, but it has not yet been defeated. The mission is not yet accomplished,” Israel’s new military chief Eyal Zamir warned on Wednesday.
Also on Wednesday, France, Britain, and Germany jointly called the humanitarian situation in Gaza “catastrophic” and urged Israel to ensure the “unhindered” delivery of aid.
South Africa said Israel’s restriction of aid into Gaza amounted to using starvation as a weapon of war.
Talks with Hamas
Trump’s aggressive language came after the United States confirmed unprecedented direct talks with Hamas, with the US envoy on hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, discussing American hostages.
“Look, dialogue and talking to people around the world to do what’s in the best interest of the American people is something that the president” believes is right, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
The United States had refused direct contact with the Palestinian group since banning it as a terrorist organisation in 1997. But Leavitt said that the hostage envoy “has the authority to talk to anyone”.
Both the White House and Netanyahu’s office confirmed Israel was consulted in advance.
Five Americans are believed to remain among the hostages — four have been confirmed dead, and one, Edan Alexander, is believed to be alive.
48,440 Palestinians killed in Gaza
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza, killing at least 48,440 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to data from the territory’s health ministry.
In an interview on Wednesday night, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Hamas to take seriously Trump’s threats of retaliation.
“He doesn’t say these things and not mean it, as folks are finding out around the world. If he says he’s going to do something, he’ll do it,” Rubio said.
Trump has floated a proposal to take over the Gaza Strip and displace its people, an idea that has drawn wide condemnation around the world.
Arab leaders have sought support for an alternative plan that would finance Gaza’s reconstruction through a trust fund.
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The Arab summit also called for unified representation under the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Five European members of the UN Security Council have called on Israel to “immediately let humanitarian aid flow into the Gaza Strip”, and called on parties “to find a way forward to the next phases of the ceasefire agreement and hostage release deal”.
Speaking after a UN Security Council meeting on Gaza’s future, French diplomat Jay Dharmadhikari said the final plan should neither allow Hamas to continue governing nor eject Palestinians.