Hamas said on Thursday that US president Donald Trump’s repeated threats against Palestinians constituted support for Israel’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu to back out of the Gaza ceasefire and intensify the siege of Gazans.
Mr Trump demanded on Wednesday that Hamas “release all of the hostages now, not later,” including the remains of dead hostages, “or it is OVER for you”.
In a text message to Reuters, Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said: “The best track to release the remaining Israeli prisoners is by the occupation going into the second phase and compelling it to adhere to the agreement signed under the sponsorship of mediators.”
The Gaza ceasefire deal which came into effect in January was negotiated with Mr Trump’s envoy participating alongside envoys of the outgoing Biden administration. It calls for remaining hostages to be freed in a second phase, during which final plans would be negotiated for an end to the war.
The first phase of the ceasefire ended on Saturday, and Israel has since imposed a total blockade on all goods entering Gaza, demanding that Hamas release remaining hostages without beginning the negotiations to end the war.
Palestinians say the blockade could lead to starvation among the 2.3 million people living in Gaza’s ruins.
Mr Trump made his new threats after a White House meeting on Wednesday with a group of hostages who had been released in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
“I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say,” Mr Trump said.
“Also, to the people of Gaza: A beautiful future awaits, but not if you hold hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!”
In a televised speech, Hamas armed wing spokesman Abu Ubaida said Israel’s threats to resume the fighting or tighten the Gaza blockade would not secure the release of hostages, adding that the group was “ready for all possibilities”.
“The enemy’s threats in war and blockade would only bring them disappointment and will not lead to the release of its prisoners [hostages],” he said.
“We tell all those concerned that we have signs of life of all the remaining living hostages of the enemy and any escalation on Gaza will most likely result in the killing of some enemy prisoners [hostages] as in many previous cases.”
Israel has accused Hamas of killing hostages the militant group said had died in Israeli military strikes on Gaza.
Fighting has been halted since January 19th and Hamas has released 33 Israeli hostages and five Thai hostages for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israeli authorities believe fewer than half of the remaining 59 hostages are still alive.
Showing the fragility of the ceasefire, Palestinian health officials said an Israeli air strike killed one man in eastern Gaza City on Thursday. Israel’s military said several suspects were identified planting a bomb in the ground near where the forces operated and they were struck to remove the threat.
Israel’s assault on the enclave has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. It began after Hamas-led Islamist fighters raided southern Israel on October 7th, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
On Thursday, Gazans criticised Mr Trump’s latest remarks, which followed his call last month for Palestinian residents of the tiny coastal enclave to be resettled elsewhere and for the territory to be developed as a ‘Middle East Riviera’.
“[Trump’s] work [should be] more to spread peace ... by exchanging hostages between the two parties, and not to throw around threats, blame and intimidation at the people of the Gaza Strip, who are suffering ... as a result of this war,” said Ahmed, a resident of Khan Younis in the Palestinian enclave.
Egyptian security officials told Reuters on Thursday that Egyptian and Qatari mediators attended talks between the Trump envoy and Hamas.
US hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler has the authority to talk directly with Hamas, the White House said when asked about the discussions.
Mr Boehler and Hamas officials met in Doha in recent weeks, two sources briefed on the negotiations said. It was not clear who represented Hamas.
Mr Netanyahu’s office said on Thursday it had nothing to add to a brief statement issued on Wednesday night that said Israel had “expressed to the United States its position regarding direct talks with Hamas”. – Reuters
