US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued an ultimatum to Hamas demanding immediate release of all 20 hostages and “not 2 or 5 or 7”. “Tell Hamas to IMMEDIATELY give back all 20 Hostages (Not 2 or 5 or 7!), and things will change rapidly. IT WILL END!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Last month, Trump had called for a stern action against Hamas saying that the
possibility of hostages being returned was only when the group was “confronted
and destroyed.”
“We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted
and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success
will be. Remember, I was the one who negotiated and got hundreds of hostages
freed and released into Israel (and America!). I was the one who ended 6 wars, in
just 6 months. I was the one who OBLITERATED Iran’s Nuclear facilities. Play to
WIN, or don’t play at all! Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he had
said.
In the October 7 assault, Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people — the
majority civilians — and abducted 251 others. Of those, 48 remain in Gaza, with roughly 20 thought to still be alive, after most hostages were released through
ceasefires or other agreements.
Meanwhile, the Gaza health ministry reported that a total of 63,633 Palestinians
have been killed by Israeli fire, including more than 2,300 seeking aid, since the
start of the war.