Netanyahu, emboldened by Trump, threatens to break ceasefire if Hamas does not release more hostages
The Palestinian group announced that it was postponing the exchange "until further notice" and the US president threatened them with "hell"
WashingtonUS President Donald Trump has been paving the way for Hamas to derail the Gaza ceasefire, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not missed the opportunity. Trump has said that if Hamas does not release the hostages by Saturday at noon, "the ceasefire will end and the army will fight again until Hamas is finally defeated." The Israeli leader made the remarks in a video posted on X.
Domestically, Netanyahu may benefit from derailing the deal for his political survival. The ceasefire has caused him to lose support in the Israeli coalition government, as the extremists who support Netanyahu in power do not agree with the truce.
The Israeli's remarks come after Trump threatened to break the ceasefire after Hamas announced the postponement of the release of the Israeli hostages scheduled for this Saturday. Trump said he would end the truce if the Islamist group did not hand over all Israeli prisoners by Saturday. "If they don't, there will be hell," Trump said Monday evening from the White House.
Hamas announced on Monday morning that it was postponing the release of the hostages "until further notice" because of Israel's failure to meet the agreed conditions for the cessation of hostilities. Hamas's armed wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, denounced how Tel Aviv has continued to bomb the Strip during the humanitarian pause and has killed at least thirty people. Last weekend, the fifth prisoner exchange between Gaza and Tel Aviv took place within the framework of the truce, in which Hamas freed three hostages and Israel returned 183 prisoners and detainees.
"In my case, if all the hostages are not released by Saturday at noon, I would say: 'Cancel it; everything is cancelled and let the gates of hell open,'" said the Republican while signing more executive orders from the Oval Office. "If they're not all back by Saturday - the dripping is over, two by two or three by three - the gates of hell will open," he insisted. "I speak for myself, Israel can correct me, but as far as I'm concerned: Saturday at twelve."
When one of the reporters asked Trump to clarify whether "hell" meant retaliation by Israel, the Republican replied: "You'll find out, and they'll find out, too. Hamas will find out what I mean." Asked another question about whether there might be US involvement if Hamas did not release the hostages, Trump said: "We'll see what happens."
The threat to blow up the ceasefire in Gaza is no surprise. In recent days, Trump had already expressed that he was not confident that the ceasefire would last much longer, while The announcement to expel Palestinians from Gaza for raising the "Middle Eastern Riviera" Trump was once again making explicit his support for Israel's plan for ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people and fueling the unrest amid the talks that have already begun in Qatar to address the second phase of the cessation of hostilities. In fact, Hamas also made it clear to the ceasefire mediators on Monday that it no longer trusted US guarantees to maintain the truce, given Trump's plans to expel the Palestinians from Gaza.
Pressures on Jordan and Israel
As Netanyahu pushed the ceasefire to the brink, Trump met in Washington on Tuesday with Jordan's King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein about the situation of Palestinians in Gaza. The Republican's plan to turn the Strip into the "Middle Eastern Riviera" involves permanently expelling Gazans to Jordan and Egypt. Both Arab countries rejected the idea, although Trump dismissed the negatives.
Before the meeting with Abdullah, the tycoon threatened Amman and Cairo with cutting off US aid if they did not cooperate: "If they do not agree, I would possibly withhold aid." During the meeting with the king, the president has lowered his tone a bit: "We give a lot of money to Jordan and also to Egypt, by the way, a lot to both. But there is no need for me to threaten. I think we are above that." In 2023, Amman received nearly $1.7 billion in US aid, according to official data from the US administration. Cairo received $1.5 billion, of which more than $1.2 billion was in military aid. Trump, aware of the soft power He even said: "I think we will have land in Jordan. I think we will have land in Egypt."
The meeting between the two leaders was cordial, although Trump's insistence on permanently expelling the Palestinians from Gaza has left Abdullah in a strange position, since Jordan is one of the Arab countries with the greatest sensitivity to the Palestinian cause. "The question is how to make this work in a way that is good for everyone," said the king to avoid getting involved and asked to wait to see Egypt's proposal.
It was not until the meeting ended when the Jordanian reiterated his refusal to collaborate with the US in the expulsion of the Palestinians and again defended the solution of both states. "I have reiterated [to Trump] Jordan's firm position against the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. This is the unified position of the Arab world. Rebuilding Gaza without displacing Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for everyone," he posted on X This is the key to ensuring regional stability. This requires US leadership. President Trump is a man of peace.
Trump's plan to permanently expel Palestinians from Gaza would violate a large number of international laws, and is roundly rejected by Arab countries. They see the president as wanting to repeat the Nakba with Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinian residents.