US President Donald Trump on Saturday issued a final ultimatum to Hamas as 48 hostages continue to remain in captivity. In a sharply worded post on Truth Social, the US President said that Israel has accepted his terms and it is about time Hamas accepts it as well. Trump said that he has warned Hamas about the consequences and called his message the “last warning”, underscoring that there will not be another one.
“Everyone wants the Hostages HOME. Everyone wants this War to end! The Israelis have 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! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
According to a report by the Times of Israel, of the 48 hostages in Gaza — roughly 20 of whom are believed to be still alive. Times of Israel reported that soon after Trump’s statement, Hamas, in a carefully worded statement said that it “is ready to immediately sit at the negotiating table to discuss the release of all prisoners in exchange for a clear declaration to end the war, a total withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and creation of a committee of independent Palestinians to run the Gaza Strip.”
According to the Times of Israel, the statement said, “Hamas welcomes any move that helps the efforts to stop the aggression against our people,”. The statement affirmed that it received “some ideas from the American side aimed at reaching a ceasefire”, Times of Israel said and further reported that Hamas said of being in “constant contact with the mediators to turn these ideas into a comprehensive agreement that meets our demands.”
Notably, the remarks by the US President come shortly after on Saturday, CENTCOM’s Admiral Brad Cooper concluded his visit to Israel where he held a situational assessment along with Israel’s Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir. CENTCOM is responsible for “defending and promoting U.S. interests in 20 nations in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and the strategic waterways that surround them”, as described by the official website of the US government.
The official statement by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said, “In the situational assessment, they discussed the current operational picture and the plans going forward. In addition, Admiral Cooper toured the communities near the Gaza Strip”. The statement noted that Admiral Cooper’s visit focused on the operational cooperation between the IDF and the U.S. military, maintaining regional stability in both nearby and distant arenas, and strengthening joint efforts to address the challenges and threats in the region.
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