Trump Issues Final Warning to Hamas

Former President Donald Trump has delivered what he calls a “final warning” to Hamas: release the remaining hostages or face severe consequences. In a recent statement, he expressed, “Everyone wants a hostage house, everyone wants to end this war. The Israelites have accepted my terms. It’s time for Hamas to do the same.”

He emphasized, “I warned Hamas about the repercussions of not complying. This is my last warning. That’s it! Thank you for keeping your focus on this critical situation.”

Last month, Trump claimed that the rest of the hostages would only be returned when Hamas was “facing and destroyed.” At that time, Hamas expressed doubts about the progress in negotiations for a ceasefire.

The White House has called for all hostages in Gaza to be released “this week,” amidst stalled discussions.

In July, U.S. and Israeli negotiators shifted their focus, moving away from Qatar, after Steve Witkov, a Trump envoy, suggested that Hamas wasn’t negotiating with genuine intent and seemed unwilling to reach a ceasefire.

On August 26, Witkov mentioned in a report that he and Trump wanted the hostages released that week. “We’ve had offers on the table for the past six or seven weeks, and we believe there are about 20 hostages alive,” he said, attributing the delays solely to Hamas.

As for bringing Israeli hostages home, Trump stated that Hamas must be “fainted and destroyed.” Witkov later refrained from offering specific reasons for the delays in returning the hostages, almost two years after they were captured during the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Currently, Hamas is holding fifty hostages, of which only twenty are believed to still be alive. Trump had previously predicted a “decisive” conclusion to the war in Gaza within “two to three weeks,” though he didn’t specify how this would happen.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu countered, suggesting that a comprehensive ceasefire, which would ensure the return of all hostages and establish Israeli conditions, is the only acceptable solution.

Amid preparations for another offensive against Hamas, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have extended their ground operations under what they call Operation Gideon. IDF spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee has warned Palestinians in certain areas of Gaza to evacuate in anticipation of an increased military response, providing maps that identify locations targeted for strikes due to the presence of Hamas infrastructure in those areas.