US President Donald Trump has again warned Hamas that there will be “hell to pay” should the Palestinian group not release all hostages, Reuters reports.

At the White House, Trump met a group of hostages who had been released recently under a Gaza ceasefire deal, and he issued a stark new threat against Hamas in a social media post.

He demanded that Hamas “release all of the hostages now, not later”, including the remains of dead hostages, “or it is over for you”.

“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,” he said.

“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’s warning echoed his “hell to pay” threat before his January 20 return to the White House, which was followed by the ceasefire and hostages deal in mid-January that he claimed credit for before then-president Joe Biden left office.