Trump Gives Hamas Ultimatum if Hostages Not Released

What Happened?

President Donald Trump has laid out an ultimatum to Hamas if Israeli hostages are not released as outlined in the ceasefire arrangements.

'As far as I’m concerned if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock... I would say, cancel it, and all bets are off,' said President Trump while signing executive orders Monday evening in the Oval Office.

The remarks come after Palestinian militant group Hamas announced Monday that it would stop releasing Israeli hostages until further notice amid alleged Israeli ceasefire violations.

The president added, 'If they’re not returned — all of them, not in dribs and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two... I would say, all hell is going to break out.'

This development comes after Hamas prepared last week to free the next round of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Concerns amid a flimsy truce arrangement continue to grow as families of Israeli hostages reportedly have urged the government to stick to the ceasefire deal only three weeks in.

So far, 16 out of 33 hostages scheduled for release in the current truce phase have reportedly been freed by Hamas.

From a list of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, 656 have been released by Israel, according to CNN.

Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida reportedly said displaced Gazan residents have been targeted 'with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Gaza Strip.’

Obeida added that relief supplies are also not being allowed to enter as agreed upon in the ceasefire arrangements.

Hamas announced that the next scheduled hostage releases would be postponed until Israel complies with the ceasefire agreement and 'compensates for the past weeks.'

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Hamas' announcement violated the ceasefire deal.

The Israeli military has also been prepared to defend Israeli communities at the highest level of readiness in Gaza.

Why it Matters

Gazans have begun trying to rebuild what's left of the shattered enclave despite the newly launched plans of a U.S. takeover and relocation of those currently occupied there.

President Trump plans that the U.S. would 'take over' and rebuild Gaza after being turned over by Israel once the fighting has concluded.

In an interview that aired with Fox News, Trump stated that Palestinians won't have the right to return to Gaza as part of this proposed effort.

‘No, they wouldn't, because they're going to have much better housing, much better. In other words, I'm talking about building a permanent place for them,’ He added. ‘If they have to return now, it'll be years before you could ever — it's not habitable.’

Trump's proposal of relocating nearly two million Palestinians to create the 'Riviera of the Middle East' contradicts U.S. foreign policy that has long emphasized a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

Jordan, Egypt, and Hamas have all rejected this idea despite Trump's repeated assertions that neighboring countries would welcome the Palestinians.

It is also not clear where the displaced Palestinians would live while the proposed dwellings were being built.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed Trump’s proposal and insisted the plan was a 'remarkable idea' despite pushback.

How it Affects You

As of Tuesday, 92 people in the enclave had reportedly been killed in Israeli military operations since the ceasefire came into effect.

Egypt, which borders Gaza, has reportedly initiated a diplomatic blitz behind the scenes.

The clock is ticking if other world leaders intervene to ensure that ceasefire arrangements continue as planned to end the Israel-Hamas conflict permanently.