Hamas dismissed President Donald Trump's warning and refused to release additional Israeli hostages without a second-phase ceasefire deal, a spokesperson for the militant group said Thursday.
Trump issued his demand in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, declaring: "Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you." He added that he is "sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job" and warned Hamas that "not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don't do as I say."
The statement followed a White House meeting between Trump and eight former hostages who were released in the first phase of a ceasefire agreement. Trump also addressed Gaza's civilians directly in his post, stating: "A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!"
Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua, in a statement to Reuters, responded that Trump's remarks amounted to backing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to avoid a new ceasefire deal. "Trump's repeated threats against our people represent support to Netanyahu to evade the agreement and tightens the siege and starvation against our people," he said.
The first phase of the ceasefire, which lasted 42 days, ended on Saturday without a follow-up agreement in place. Under the existing ceasefire framework, Hamas was expected to release more hostages in a second phase, but negotiations have stalled.
According to Israeli authorities, Hamas is holding 24 living hostages taken during the October 7 attack and the bodies of 34 others. The attack, which left approximately 1,200 people dead, mostly civilians, led to a prolonged Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Since then, 251 hostages have been taken captive, with many released through ceasefire agreements or other means.
Meanwhile, Hamas has blamed Israel for blocking progress toward a second-phase ceasefire. "The best track to release the remaining Israeli prisoners is by... going into the second phase and compelling it (Israel) to adhere to the agreement signed under the sponsorship of mediators," Qanoua told Reuters.
Trump's remarks came as U.S. officials engaged in backchannel negotiations with Hamas, a significant departure from Washington's long-standing refusal to engage directly with the group, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States. Sources told Reuters that U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler met with Hamas representatives in Doha in recent weeks, with Egyptian and Qatari mediators present.
Egyptian security officials confirmed the talks and indicated that Hamas insisted on adhering to the phased ceasefire framework, which was brokered with international mediators. The discussions reportedly ended positively, with indications that further negotiations could soon begin.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza since the ceasefire expired, halting humanitarian aid shipments. Israeli leaders have insisted that Hamas must release the remaining hostages before any new ceasefire deal is considered. Palestinian officials have warned that the blockade could lead to starvation among Gaza's 2.3 million residents.
