President Donald Trump on Sept. 7 issued a “last warning” to the Hamas terrorist group to accept a deal to secure the release of all hostages still held by the group.
He said in a post on Truth Social: “[Israel has] accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!”
The specific terms being negotiated by Trump have not been publicly released.
In comments to reporters at Joint Base Andrews after he returned from a brief trip to New York, Trump expressed confidence that his administration could reach a deal to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip “very soon.”
“It’s a problem we want to solve, for the Middle East, for Israel, for everybody,” Trump said.
Israel launched an invasion into the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack by Hamas terrorists into Israel, an attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis. A total of 251 people, including both Israeli and U.S. citizens, were kidnapped during the incursion.
Of the 48 hostages who are still being held by Hamas, Trump expressed hope that all could be returned through diplomacy.
“I think we’re going to get them all,” he said.
He acknowledged that some may have died before they could be rescued. In such cases, the United States will pursue a return of the victims’ remains.
On Sept. 6, Israel-based N12 News reported that Trump had put forward a new cease-fire proposal to Hamas, under which Hamas would reportedly release the 48 remaining hostages in exchange for the release of thousands of Palestinians jailed in Israel. The plan calls for negotiations to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip entirely during the cease-fire.
The White House did not respond by press time to a request for comment.
Trump said in his post that Israel is on board with his proposal, although Israeli officials have not yet publicly backed the plan.
Hamas said following Trump’s online post that it received some ideas from the United States regarding how to reach a cease-fire deal in Gaza and was discussing ways to develop those ideas but gave no specific details about any potential agreement.
In a statement, the terrorist group repeated its openness to negotiations for the release of hostages in exchange for a “clear announcement of an end to the war” and withdrawal of all Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Friends Read Free
Copy
Facebook
Tweet
