(AFP) – US President Donald Trump set a Saturday deadline for all hostages to be released from Gaza, saying that otherwise “all hell” would break out and he would call for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire to be canceled. Trump’s latest extraordinary intervention in the Middle East came after Hamas threatened to postpone any further hostage-prisoner exchanges, placing the fragile six-week truce that took effect on January 19 at risk.
Describing Hamas’s move as “terrible”, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he would “let that be Israel’s decision” on what should ultimately happen to the ceasefire. “But as far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday 12 o’clock — I think it’s an appropriate time — I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out,” Trump said.
Trump said that “all” the remaining hostages should be freed, “not in dribs and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two.” “We want them all back. I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it, but for myself, Saturday at 12 o’clock — and if they’re not here, all hell is going to break out.” Trump said he would probably speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the timeline he had just proposed.
He did not elaborate on what the threat entailed, saying only that “Hamas will find out what I mean.” Asked if he was ruling out the potential involvement of US forces, Trump replied: “We’ll see what happens.” The US president also threatened to halt aid to allies Jordan and Egypt if they refuse to take in Palestinians under his controversial plan for the United States to “take over” Gaza.
“Maybe,” Trump told reporters when asked if he would suspend billions of dollars in US assistance. “If they don’t agree, I would conceivably withhold it.” Trump is due to meet Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Washington this week. The threat came after Egypt rejected earlier Monday “any compromise” that would infringe on Palestinians’ rights, in a statement issued after Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his US counterpart in Washington.
Trump earlier said in an interview with Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier that Palestinians would have no right of return to Gaza under his US takeover plan, which he unveiled in a joint press conference with Netanyahu last week. “No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing,” Trump said when Baier asked if the Palestinians would have the right to return to the enclave, most of which has been reduced to rubble by Israel’s military since October 2023.
“In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them because if they have to return now, it’ll be years before you could ever — it’s not habitable.” – Danny KEMP
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