• Release all prisoners, it’s ‘over for you’, US president warns Palestinian group
• Rubio urges Hamas to take Trump’s threats seriously
• State Department says Egyptian plan for Gaza doesn’t meet ‘Trump’s requirements’

GAZA CITY: Hamas said on Thursday that Donald Trump’s threats would encourage Israel to disregard the fragile ceasefire, after the US president said that unless prisoners are freed, the people of Gaza would be “DEAD”.

Trump’s warning came hours after his administration revealed it held unprecedented direct talks with Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed Israel was consulted and said in a statement that it “expressed its opinion” on the direct talks.

Trump said later he was “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job” as his administration expedites billions of dollars in weapons.

“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 his Truth Social platform after meeting freed prisoners.

“This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance.”

Trump also warned of repercussions for Gaza as a whole, where virtually the entire population has been displaced by Israel’s relentless military campaign. “To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!”

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasim said Trump’s words pushed Israel to disregard the terms of a ceasefire in place since January 19.

“These threats complicate matters regarding the ceasefire agreement and encourage the occupation to avoid implementing its terms,” Qasim said in a statement, urging the United States to pressure Israel to enter the ceasefire’s second phase.

‘Catastrophic’

The first phase of the truce ended at the weekend after six weeks of relative calm that included exchanges of Israeli prisoners for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

While Israel has said it wants to extend the first phase until mid-April, Hamas has insisted on a transition to the second phase, which should lead to a lasting ceasefire.

Israel has ramped up its rhetoric and halted the flow of goods and supplies into Gaza.

“Hamas has indeed suffered a severe blow, but it has not yet been defeated. The mission is not yet accomplished,” Israel’s new military chief Eyal Zamir warned on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, France, Britain and Germany jointly called the humanitarian situation in Gaza “catastrophic,” and urged Israel to ensure the “unhindered” delivery of aid.

South Africa said Israel’s restriction of aid into Gaza amounted to using starvation as a weapon of war.

Gaza plan

Trump triggered global outrage by suggesting the United States “take over” the Gaza Strip and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”, while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt or Jordan.

Arab leaders have sought support for an alternative plan that would finance Gaza’s reconstruction through a trust fund, and would see the return of the Palestinian Authority to the territory.

But the State Department said on Thursday that the Egyptian-led plan did not meet the expectations of President Donald Trump, who has proposed mass displacement of Palestinians from the war-battered territory.

The proposed deal “does not fulfill the requirements, the nature, of what President Trump was asking for,” State Department spokeswo­man Tammy Bruce told reporters.

She spoke shortly after Trump’s point man on the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, gave a more positive spin on the Egyptian-led diplomacy, without endorsing the details.

“We need more discussion about it, but it’s a good-faith first step from the Egyptians,” Witkoff told reporters at the White House.

Witkoff said Trump had succeeded in “now encouraging other people in the Middle East — Middle Eastern world — to present proactive proposals for what we might consider,” he said.

Witkoff suggested that Trump’s latest threat may be a preview to joint action against Hamas.

“I think there’s going to be some action. It could be jointly with the Israelis,” he said. “It’s unclear right now, but I think Hamas has an opportunity to act reasonably, to do what’s right, and then to walk out. They’re not going to be a part of a government there,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2025