Hamas has threatened to kill the remaining Israeli hostages if there is ‘any escalation’ of military escalation against Gaza after efforts to prolong the ceasefire stalled.
The terrorist group accused Israel of ‘bullying, stalling, and reckless aggression’ and warned that threats of renewed war ‘will not lead to the release of the captives’.
Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, warned in a recorded message Thursday the group is ‘fully prepared for all possible scenarios’.
‘We warn the families [of the hostages] that we have proof of life for those who remain alive,’ he said. ‘Any escalation of aggression against our people will result in the killing of enemy captives.’
Ubaida further accused Israel of seeking ‘an American green light to escalate its aggression against our people’.
The chilling threat followed Trump’s declaration Wednesday that he was giving Hamas a ‘last warning’ to release those still being held captive after having been abducted on October 7, 2023.
Trump also told leadership of the terror group to leave Gaza ‘now while you still have a chance’ and warned: ‘I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.’
The US president issued his direct threat to Hamas after the White House confirmed direct talks with the group as part an of an effort to finally secure the release of hostages and bodies of the deceased.
Hamas responded to Trump’s warning on Thursday by threating to kill the remaining hostages in Gaza, as it rejected the US president’s ultimatums.
‘The enemy’s leadership is trying to evade the agreement as the Prime Minister prioritizes political interests over the lives of his captives,’ Ubaida said in his recorded address. ‘The occupier continues to seek an American green light to escalate its aggression against our people.
‘Israeli threats of war will bring them nothing but failure and will not lead to the release of their captives. We warn the families of Israeli captives that we still hold proof of life for those who remain alive.
‘We are fully prepared for all possible scenarios. Any escalation of aggression against our people will result in the killing of enemy captives,’ he added.
There are believed to be up to 24 living hostages remaining in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. At least another 35 are believed to be dead.
Trump on Wednesday took to his Truth Social platform to demand for the release of the remaining living hostages and the bodies of the deceased.
‘”Shalom Hamas” means Hello and Goodbye – You can choose. 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 wrote on the social media site.
‘Only sick and twisted people keep bodies, and you are sick and twisted! I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.
‘I have just met with your former Hostages whose lives you have destroyed. This is your last warning!’
Trump also Hamas to leave Gaza immediately and touted his proposal for rebuilding the region.
He added: ‘Also, to the People of Gaza: 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!’
Trump issued similar warnings last month, saying there would be ‘all hell’ to pay if the group, which the US government classified as a terrorist organization, did not send home hostages.
Trump’s angry threat came hours after a report that the administration was conducting secret talks with Hamas in an effort to release American hostages seized during the bloody October 7 terror attack on Israel.
The White House said US hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler had the authority to talk directly with Hamas, despite longstanding policy against negotiating with designated terrorist organizations.
The two sides met in Doha, where prior cease fire and hostage talks had occurred, gut not directly between the parties. US and Israeli negotiators had negotiated instead through third party Arab leaders.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed those talks when asked about them.
‘First of all, the special envoy who engaged in this negotiation does have the authority to talk to anyone. Israel was consulted on this matter,’ Leavitt said.
‘And look – dialog and talking to people around the world to do what’s in the best interest of the American people, is something that the American people.’
She wouldn’t answer directly when asked if the talks also related to Trump’s stated plan to rebuild and take over Gaza in a plan critics have called Gaza-lago.
‘These are ongoing talks and discussions. I’m not going to detail them here, that are American lines at stake.’
On February 11, Trump warned ‘all hell is going to break loose’ if the group did not release all remaining hostages that week.
In response, a Hamas spokesman lashed out at the American president and said there was no place ‘for the language of threats’.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior spokesperson for the terror group known for its tight stranglehold over the Gaza Strip, boldly claimed Trump’s comments did nothing but make negotiations for the end of the war harder.
‘The language of threats has no value and further complicates matters,’ Zuhri remarked.
He added that Trump needed to ‘remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties and this is the only way to return the prisoners’.
A few days later, Hamas released American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36 and two other hostages.
The threats come days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked ’emergency authority’ to send an additional $4billion in security assistance to Israel.
Trump also met with hostages released from captivity on Wednesday.
‘Today, President Trump took time to meet with eight of the released hostages from Gaza,’ Leavitt said.
‘The President listened intently to their heartbreaking stories. The hostages thanked President Trump for his steadfast efforts to bring all of the hostages home.’
They were Iair Horn, Omer Shem Tov, Eli Sharabi, Keith Siegel, Aviva Siegel, Naama Levy, Doron Steinbrecher, and Noa Argamani.
This comes after Trump promoted a controversial vision for what his ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ plan for the Gaza Strip could look like when the war between Israel and Hamas has ended.
Trump laid out his extraordinary plan at a press conference with Netanyahu in February, stating: ‘The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too.’
Trump’s proposal was met with global criticism by both lawmakers and analysts who fear the plan would forcibly displace Gaza’s population of two million – while US critics wondered if his vision would plunge the nation into the potentially bloody role of occupying power.
Despite experts saying immediate reaction among global lawmakers and leaders across the region was one of ‘revulsion’, Trump seemed to further promote the plan on February 25 by posting an AI-generated video of a reimagined Gaza.
The video promoted gaudy scenes of a reimagined Gaza that is reminiscent of the Las Vegas strip, featuring a new Trump hotel and an enormous, shining gold statue of the US president.
In what has been branded a ‘grotesque fantasy’ online, billionaire Elon Musk is depicted tossing cash to children while Trump sips cocktails with Netanyahu.
The imagined glass skyscrapers are a far cry from the real Gaza, where at least half the buildings have been damaged or destroyed.
The White House responded to the criticism in a statement to DailyMail.com: ‘As President Trump has said, Gaza in its current state is unhabitable for any human being.
‘President Trump is a visionary, and his plan to have the United States involved in Gaza’s rebuilding will allow for Palestinians to resettle in new, beautiful communities while improving conditions in the region for generations to come.’