The president met with eight recently released individuals before sternly threatening Hamas leaders.
President Donald Trump issued a grave threat on March 5 to Hamas leaders, warning the terrorist organization to release all hostages or prepare for serious consequences.
“‘Shalom Hamas’ means hello and goodbye,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “You can choose. Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is over for you.”
He called the group “sick and twisted” for keeping bodies of those who died in captivity after being taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack.
Hamas took more than 250 people as hostages during the attack, and 62 remain unaccounted for, according to the Israeli government.
Trump vowed to secure the release of all those still held by the terror group.
“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,” Trump wrote. “This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance.”
The president urged Palestinians to reject Hamas leaders who he said are jeopardizing the public’s safety.
“Also, to the people of Gaza: A beautiful future awaits, but not if you hold hostages,” Trump wrote. “If you do, you are dead! Make a smart decision. Release the hostages now, or there will be hell to pay later!”
Before posting his intentions, the president met with recently released individuals who traveled to the White House to meet him.
“Today, President Trump took time to meet with eight of the released hostages from Gaza,” Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, said in a statement. “The president listened intently to their heartbreaking stories. The hostages thanked President Trump for his steadfast efforts to bring all of the hostages home.”
Earlier in the day, she said that a special U.S. envoy was negotiating with Hamas leadership to hasten the release of all hostages.
“These are ongoing talks and discussions,” Leavitt said. “I’m not going to detail them here. There are American lives at stake.”
Israeli leadership was informed of the talks beforehand, she said.
It is unclear who is heading the discussions on the U.S. side. It is also unclear when and where the talks are taking place.
How best to redevelop the Gaza Strip—after more than a year of conflict and heavy bombing destroyed large swaths of the region—is a point of contention.
Trump has floated the idea of depopulating the area and building a “Middle East Riviera” that he said would benefit all sides and allow for a sustainable, peaceful future.
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out,” Trump said during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Feb. 4.
“[We’ll] create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”
Some officials in neighboring countries have expressed opposition to Trump’s plan, and an emergency summit was held March 4 to discuss alternatives.
Arab leaders reportedly proposed a $53 billion reconstruction initiative that would allow Palestinians to stay in Gaza rather than be moved to Egypt or Jordan.
According to the plan, Hamas would be forced to relinquish power—which it has held in the region since 2007—with a goal of reestablishing a Palestinian Authority to govern the area.
The Trump administration said the plan is insufficient and pledged to continue negotiating toward a long-term peace agreement.
“The current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance,” Brian Hughes, National Security Council spokesman, told The Epoch Times by email on March 5.
“President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas. We look forward to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region.”