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US President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum to Hamas on Monday, saying that if all Israeli hostages were not freed from Gaza by noon on Saturday, then “all hell is going to break out”.
“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,” he said. “And if they're not returned – all of them, not in dribs and drabs … after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out.”
He added that Israel could “override” such a decision. Asked whether the US would intervene in Gaza after the Saturday deadline, Mr Trump said: “We’ll see what happens.”
It was not clear what time zone the noon deadline would fall under.
Hamas earlier on Monday announced it would delay the release of hostages after saying Israel had committed breaches and failed to abide by the terms of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement struck three weeks ago.
The development comes during phase one of a fragile pause in the 16-month war in Gaza. Under the terms, brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt, Israeli hostages would be released in exchange for Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
The ceasefire began on January 19, the day before Mr Trump took office.
More than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes and most of Gaza's homes and infrastructure have been reduced to rubble. The war was ignited on October 7, 2023 when Hamas gunmen attacked Israel killing 1,200 and taking about 250 people hostage.
Mr Trump's comments also come after the US President has been pushing a proposal to permanently displace roughly two million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, while saying the US would “own” the coastal enclave and develop it. Palestinians would not have the right to return after the coastal enclave is rebuilt, he said.
He first made the proposal last week during the official visit of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington. He said he would turn the enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
The President's relocation plan has been met with almost unequivocal rejection from Arab and world leaders as well as the UN and Palestinians, who have said such a move would be a grave injustice and amount to ethnic cleansing.
Mr Trump said Palestinians would be sent to Jordan and Egypt, though both countries have rejected the proposal.
The President has so far insisted that the two countries, as well as others would take displaced Palestinians.
“I do think he'll take [Palestinians],” he said, referring to Jordan's King Abdullah II, who is visiting the White House on Tuesday. “And I think other countries will take also, they have good hearts.”
And when asked if he would withhold aid to Jordan and Egypt if they do not comply with his plan, he said: “Yeah, maybe, sure why not? If they don’t, I would conceivably withhold aid, yes.”
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi is expected to visit Washington next week, although his trip has not yet been officially announced.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Washington on Monday to discuss “post-conflict planning” for Gaza.
A readout from the State Department made no mention of Mr Trump’s displacement plan. He has said Egypt and Jordan would take the refugees, but both countries have repeatedly said they would not.
Mr Abdelatty told Mr Rubio that Arab states remain firm in their stance against the President's proposals, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
