OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: A senior Hamas leader said Tuesday that US President Donald Trump’s warning for the group to immediately release all Israeli hostages “further complicates matters” relating to the fragile Gaza truce.
“Trump must remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties and this is the only way to return the prisoners (hostages),” Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP.
“The language of threats has no value and further complicates matters,” he added.
The ceasefire, in place since January 19, largely halted more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza and saw five groups of Israeli hostages freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
But tensions spiked last month after Trump proposed taking over Gaza and removing its more than two million inhabitants.
Trump says Hamas should free all hostages by midday Saturday or ‘let hell break out’
He further ramped up pressure on Monday, saying he would call for an end to the ceasefire if all Israeli hostages were not freed by noon on Saturday.
“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 told reporters at the White House.
The ceasefire agreement says staggered releases should take place over the ongoing 42-day first phase of the deal.
Trump’s latest warning came after Hamas said the next hostage release would be “postponed until further notice,” accusing Israel of failing to meet its commitments under the truce agreement, including on aid deliveries.
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