US President Donald Trump has warned of serious repercussions if Hamas fails to release all remaining hostages in Gaza by noon on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, he reiterated his demand, saying, “let all hell break out” if Hamas does not release the hostages, insisting they should be freed in full and not “in drips and drabs.”
“As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 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, according to CNN.
Trump uncertain on Israel’s response
When asked about what might happen if Hamas fails to meet the deadline, Trump said, “I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow at 12 o’clock. If it were up to me, I’d take a very hard stance. I can’t tell you what Israel is going to do.”
He also described the condition of the released hostages, saying they looked weak after their captivity in Gaza. “One guy was a big, strong, healthy guy… He looks like he just came out of the Holocaust. It looks like a Holocaust picture,” Trump said, criticising Hamas for its treatment of hostages.
Hamas’ shifting position on hostage releases
Earlier this week, Hamas stated that it would not release more hostages, citing Israel’s violations of ceasefire negotiations, but later changed its stance.
“They said, ‘We’re not going to release any more hostages as we said we were.’ I said, ‘Good, you have till 12 o’clock on Saturday,’ which is tomorrow. And we didn’t hear anything. Then, all of a sudden, two days ago, they said, ‘No, we’ve decided we’re going to release the hostages,’” Trump explained.
He further added, “I think they should release all of the hostages. As bad as they look, the ones that follow probably will look a lot worse. I think they’re sending out their most healthy.”
Hostage exchange under ceasefire agreement
Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office confirmed receiving the names of three hostages—Sagui Dekel Chen, Sasha Troufanov, and Iair Horn—set to be freed by Hamas on Saturday. The release is part of the sixth hostage-prisoner exchange under the ongoing ceasefire agreement.
Hamas had previously threatened to delay further hostage releases, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire deal. However, with mediation from Egypt and Qatar, the group backed down from its threat and agreed to proceed with the release.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas has released 16 Israelis and five Thai hostages in exchange for Israel freeing around 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners, including hundreds serving life sentences for terror-related offences.
73 hostages still held in Gaza
Since the October 7 Hamas attacks, 251 people have been taken hostage. According to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), 73 hostages remain in Gaza, including at least 35 confirmed dead.
Trump has made it clear that he expects all remaining hostages to be freed immediately. “Hamas will find out what I mean,” he said, hinting at consequences if his deadline is not met. “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it, but from myself, Saturday at 12 o’clock, and if they’re not – they’re not here, all hell is going to break out.”
According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 48,000 Palestinians have been killed since the October 2023 conflict between Israel and Hamas.
