Trump responded by asking: “So you didn’t think until I came along — you didn’t think you were going to get out?” to which hostages replied: “No.”
“Well, we said, ‘You better let us have those people back, you better let them out.’ We did say that and something happened, right. Now we’ve got to get the rest out,” Trump remarked, referring to his previous demands for hostages’ release.
Eli Sharabi, another of the freed hostages, took the opportunity to present Trump with a framed picture depicting Holocaust survivors, with the caption “Never again,” alongside an image of Sharabi himself from his release last month with the caption “Again.”
In addition to the powerful image, the hostages presented Trump with a plaque inscribed with the words “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire”.
“We’re working on it [the hostage releases] very hard,” Trump assured them as they shook hands. “We’ll do the best we can… Horrible stories. Not even believable… We’ll get them out. Watch. We’ll get them out.”
As the group prepared to leave, Trump offered a few encouraging words, telling Shem Tov, the last to thank him, “You’ve got a good future. I’m telling you.”
Keith Siegel, a US-Israel former hostage, also expressed his gratitude to Trump and his administration, noting: “We urged them to continue their enormous efforts. They have done so much. We trust them, and we know they will get the job done to get all the rest of the 59 remaining hostages held in Gaza back to their families, back to Israel.”
Later on Wednesday, President Trump took to his Truth Social platform to issue an ultimatum to Hamas: release the remaining hostages or face severe consequences.
“‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye – You can choose,” Trump wrote. “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.”
Trump’s comments came after a tense period in negotiations, following the end of the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The president has made similar ultimatums in the past, but with little success. Prior to his election, Trump had warned Hamas that there would be “all hell to pay” if the hostages were not released.
In an interview, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump’s frustrations, urging Hamas to take the president’s threats seriously.
“People don’t realise the President meets with these people, he hears their stories; he’s outraged and rightfully so.
"He’s tired of watching these videos every weekend where hostages that are emaciated are released and bodies are turned over, and sometimes it’s the wrong bodies and there’s five here and three there and there’s games that are being played. And he’s lost his patience with it,” Rubio told Fox News.
“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 added. “And so they’d better take that seriously.”
