President Trump is tired of waiting around for Hamas to release the Israeli hostages in “dribs and drabs,” and he has put the terrorists on notice that they need to release all of the hostages by 12 o’clock this Saturday or, to use the president’s own words, “all bets are off.”
Speaking Monday afternoon from his desk in the Oval Office, President Trump addressed reports that Hamas would be “postponing” future hostage releases because, at least according to the terror organization, Israel had not held up its end of the ceasefire deal.
RedState’s Ward Clark reported earlier Monday on Hamas’ claim:
Now Hamas is indicating they will “postpone” any further releases of hostages, claiming Israel has violated terms of the cease-fire.
In a post on X, Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, said that the handover of the prisoners “who were scheduled to be released next Saturday … will be postponed until further notice, and until the occupation commits to and compensates for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively.”
This did not seem to sit well with President Trump, who, during the transition period before he took office for a second time, demanded that all hostages be returned before Inauguration Day. Prompted by Trump’s fierce determination to get the hostages home, the Biden administration, with not a little assistance from the Trump team, was able to help broker a temporary ceasefire arrangement that would see the hostages released in phases.
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And, yes, Hamas has returned a few hostages every Saturday, but it’s been an excruciating exercise to watch as the hostages are marched in front of enemy cameras and angry crowds, made to participate in ridiculous release ceremonies, and handed goody bags by their captors and tormentors before finally being handed over to the International Red Cross.
Enough is enough.
“As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock — I think it’s an appropriate time — I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office, without specifying what time zone the deadline would apply to.
“I’d say they ought to be returned by 12 o’clock on Saturday. And if they’re not returned — all of them, not in dribs and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two – by Saturday at 12 o’clock. And after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out.”
The release of those still being held in Gaza has taken on a new urgency as the latest group of hostages to be released returned to Israel in a shocking state, with some observers even likening their physical condition to that of Holocaust survivors. Hamas has had enough time, and President Trump has had it with them.
While the president did not comment on whether or not the U.S. military would get involved in the hell that’s possibly about to break out in Gaza, he did issue a coy warning: “You’ll find out, and they’ll find out too. Hamas will find out what I mean.”
