Hamas rejects Trump threat, demands lasting truce for hostage release

Hamas has dismissed the latest warning from President Donald Trump and restated its position that the release of the remaining Israeli hostages will only happen as part of a broader agreement that guarantees a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The militant group accused both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to walk away from the ceasefire deal agreed in January. That initial agreement outlined a phased process, where the release of additional hostages would coincide with the release of more Palestinian prisoners, the implementation of a lasting ceasefire, and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

A spokesperson for Hamas, Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua, said the most effective path to securing the hostages’ release would be to restart talks on the next stage of the agreement. Negotiations on that phase were supposed to begin in early February but so far have only reached the stage of preliminary discussions.

Trump Issues Final Threat as Pressure Mounts

Tensions escalated further after Trump posted a blunt warning on his social media platform following a meeting with eight former hostages. Trump called on Hamas to immediately release all remaining hostages and return the bodies of those who were killed, warning that failure to comply would result in severe consequences.

The Trump administration has also confirmed that, for the first time, direct talks were held between the U.S. and Hamas representatives. Despite these rare contacts, there is little clarity on whether any progress was made.

Hamas still holds 24 living hostages who were taken during the October 7, 2023 attack, including Israeli-American citizen Edan Alexander. In addition to the living captives, the group is believed to be holding the bodies of 34 others, including people killed either during the initial assault or while in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 conflict.

The first phase of the ceasefire, which lasted 42 days and ended recently, saw Hamas release 25 Israeli hostages along with the bodies of eight others. In return, nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were freed.

Israel, backed by the Trump administration, now supports a revised U.S. proposal for the second phase. Under this new plan, Hamas would release half of the remaining hostages immediately, with the rest being freed once a permanent ceasefire is negotiated. Hamas has rejected this revised plan, insisting on the terms of the original January agreement.

Escalating Pressure and Humanitarian Crisis

To force Hamas to reconsider, Israel has imposed a near-total blockade on Gaza, cutting off essential supplies such as food, fuel, and medicine to the enclave’s population of around 2 million people. Israel has also warned of additional punitive measures if Hamas does not resume hostage releases under the new framework.

It remains unclear whether the direct U.S.-Hamas talks have made any headway. Trump’s administration continues to support Israel’s two core objectives — recovering all remaining hostages and completely dismantling Hamas — objectives that may ultimately be incompatible with any lasting ceasefire.

The October 7 attack led by Hamas resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, most of them civilians, while 251 hostages were taken during the assault. Since then, many of those hostages have been released through negotiated agreements or rescue operations carried out by Israeli forces, which have successfully freed eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.

The ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza has caused widespread devastation, with over 48,000 Palestinians reported killed, most of them women and children according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel claims it has killed more than 17,000 militants, though it has not publicly provided evidence to support that number.

Large areas of Gaza lie in ruins, and the majority of the population has been displaced, with many living in makeshift shelters, schools, and damaged buildings. Humanitarian groups warn that hundreds of thousands of people remain entirely dependent on international aid for survival, with conditions worsening due to Israel’s restrictions on supplies entering the region.