Egypt Today March 7, 2025
In remarks to the Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu Agency, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem stated that these threats encourage Israel to avoid implementing the terms of the Gaza ceasefire, which took effect on 19 January.
In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump warned that he is “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job” if Hamas does not return all captives taken from Israel on 7 October 2023, including the deceased. “Not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say,” Trump warned.
The US president urged Hamas that “now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance.”
Trump’s threat also extended to the people of Gaza, whom he assumes may be holding captives. “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.”
Trump’s threats come while the US, which designated Hamas a terrorist organization in 1997, recently held unprecedented direct talks with the group regarding the potential release of American captives still held in Gaza.
Five Americans are believed to be among the 59 captives still held by Hamas including at least 22 who are still alive. Of the five Americans, four have been confirmed dead by Israeli authorities, while Edan Alexander is believed to be alive.
The direct talks with Hamas represent a significant departure from the US longstanding policy of avoiding direct engagement with the movement.
Two sources with direct knowledge of the discussions told Axios that the US, represented by presidential envoy for captive affairs Adam Boehler, and Hamas discussed the possibility of a broader deal to end the Israeli war in Gaza.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Wednesday that the US has engaged in “ongoing talks and discussions” with Hamas.
However, no progress has yet been reported from the talks that took place in Doha in recent weeks.
These discussions come amid a deadlock in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, facilitated by Egypt and Qatar, following the expiry of the first phase of the agreement last Saturday amid fears of war resumption.
The Israeli war in Gaza has killed over 48,400 people in Gaza, according to latest figures provided by the Palestinian health authorities in the enclave. Most of the fatalities are women and children.
In response to Trump’s warnings, Qassem urged the US administration to pressure Israel to enter negotiations for the second phase of the agreement as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement.
“There is an agreement that was signed with Washington as a mediator, which includes the release of all captives in three phases,” Qassem said. “Hamas has fulfilled its part in the first phase, while [Israel] is evading the second phase.”
Israel and the US are proposing an extension of the first phase of the deal, which includes the exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, as well as the entry of aid to Gaza, but does not stipulate a permanent end to the war.
Under the first phase of the agreement, Hamas released 30 living captives taken from Israel, most of whom were captured during the October 2023 attack, including Israelis and Thai nationals. Hamas also returned the bodies of eight Israeli captives it asserts were killed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza.
In exchange, Israel has released about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including many detained during the war, along with others who were serving life sentences.
Hamas has rejected the Israeli-American extension proposal and urged global pressure on Israel to immediately implement the second phase of the deal, which includes the release of all captives in Gaza, an end to the war, and a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory. Israel has announced a blockade on humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza until Hamas agrees to the ceasefire extension, a move that has been widely condemned by the Arab world and the United Nations.
