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Hamas has accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of sabotering delicate ceasefire negotiations after he issued a blunt ultimatum demanding the militant group release all remaining hostages and return the bodies of slain captives “immediately” or face annihilation.
The threats, posted Wednesday on Trump’s Truth Social platform, drew sharp condemnation from Hamas officials Thursday, who warned the rhetoric undermines U.S.-mediated talks and emboldens Israel to stall on implementing a phased truce deal.
“Trump’s reckless statements complicate the agreement and give [Israel] cover to evade its obligations,” said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, referencing the January 19 ceasefire brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. Under the deal’s initial 42-day phase, Hamas freed dozens of Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. But negotiations for the second stage—requiring further releases and a sustained truce—have stalled, with Hamas accusing Israel of backtracking.
Trump’s intervention came hours after the White House confirmed U.S. officials held direct talks with Hamas in Doha, Qatar, in recent weeks—a rare acknowledgment of backchannel diplomacy. Presidential envoy Adam Boehler reportedly led the U.S. delegation, though details remain scant. “Israel was consulted,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, sidestepping questions about the talks’ substance.
In his post, Trump claimed he was “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job” and threatened that “not a single Hamas member will be safe” if demands aren’t met. The remarks, framed as a “last warning,” clash with the Biden administration’s quieter approach to hostage diplomacy and risk inflaming an already combustible process.
Of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza, Israel confirms 35 are dead, including four Americans. Only one U.S. citizen is believed alive. Hamas insists any further releases depend on Israel halting military operations and withdrawing from Gaza—conditions Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has rejected.
Analysts say Trump’s threats could harden Hamas’s stance while pressuring Biden to adopt a tougher line ahead of November’s election. “This isn’t policymaking—it’s political theater with lives at stake,” said former U.S. Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller. “Trump’s playing to his base, but in doing so, he’s tossing a lit match into a tinderbox.”
With talks teetering, the White House faces mounting criticism from all sides: Republicans blast Biden for engaging Hamas directly, while progressives demand greater pressure on Israel to end the war. For Gaza’s civilians—and hostages’ families—the escalating rhetoric offers little hope. As one Doha-based diplomat put it: “Every time outsiders shout demands, the room for compromise shrinks.”
News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/trumps-hostage-ultimatum-risks-collapse-of-fragile-gaza-truce-hamas-warns/
