Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump expressed deep concern for the remaining hostages still being held in Gaza.
He predicted that many of them would not survive much longer and issued a firm ultimatum, saying: “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 [the deal] and all bets are off and let hell break out. I’d say they ought to be returned by 12 o’clock on Saturday.”
Trump also suggested he might speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the situation but stressed that time was of the essence.
“Based on what I saw over the last two days, they’re not going to be alive for long,” Trump said, referring to three male hostages freed on Saturday who were gaunt and emaciated.
“Saturday at 12 o’clock, and after that, it’s going to be a different ballgame.”
Palestinian Hamas fighters escort Or Levy on a stage before handing him over to a Red Cross (Image: Getty)AFP via Getty Images
While Trump had previously been a vocal supporter of the ceasefire dea, his comments indicated growing frustration with the progress of the agreement.
"We want them all back," he declared, rejecting the established idea of staggered releases. “These are sick people, and they’ll find out what I mean [on] Saturday at 12.”
However, Hamas is insistent upon staggered releases, likely because they allows it to maintain its leverage over Israel (in the form of the hostages) to disincentivise the resumption of fighting and extract concessions over Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
The group has already released 16 Israelis as part of the first phase of the agreement, which was brokered to facilitate the return of captives in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Five Thai hostages were also freed under a separate deal with their government. As of Monday, though, 73 of the 251 people taken by Hamas during its October 7 assault on Israel remain in captivity.
Negotiations over the second phase of the deal, which would see more releases, are ongoing.
But Hamas spokesperson Hudhaifa Kahlout, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Obeida, accused Israel of not fulfilling its obligations under the truce while announcing the break in the schedule.
He claimed that the Israeli military was obstructing humanitarian aid and targeting Palestinians in Gaza. "We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation adheres to them," Kahlout said.
In contrast, the IDF maintains that it has fulfilled all of the requirements of the deal, including a full withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor. There have been instances of soldiers firing on Gazans, claiming this was in response to imminent security concerns, which the military is investigating.
