President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Hamas on Monday, demanding the release of all remaining hostages by noon on Saturday or face severe consequences. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump declared that if the hostages are not freed by the deadline, he would allow Israel to cancel the ongoing cease-fire, potentially escalating the conflict in the Middle East.
“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,” Trump said, without specifying the time zone for the deadline.
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He emphasized that the release must include all hostages, not partial or incremental returns. “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.”
Trump did not elaborate on what “all hell is going to break out” would entail, leaving open the possibility of military action by either Israel or the United States. When asked if U.S. troops might be deployed to the region, Trump responded, “We’ll see what happens.” He added, “You’ll find out, and they’ll find out too. Hamas will find out what I mean.”
The president later clarified that he was speaking for himself and acknowledged Israel’s right to “override” any statement he made. However, he reiterated his ultimatum, stating, “But from myself, Saturday at 12 o’clock, and if they’re not, they’re not here, all hell is going to break out.”
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Trump expressed deep concern about the condition of the remaining hostages, suggesting that many, if not all, may already be dead. He accused Hamas of mistreating those who have been released, citing the severe malnutrition and weight loss of three Israeli hostages freed on Saturday. “Based on what I saw over the last few days, they’re not going to be alive for long,” Trump said, comparing their condition to that of “Holocaust victims.”
Hamas, meanwhile, announced earlier Monday that it was postponing a scheduled hostage release, accusing Israel of failing to uphold its side of the cease-fire agreement. Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, stated on X that the release would be delayed “until the occupation commits to and compensates for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively.” The terror group also accused Israel of not providing adequate humanitarian supplies to Gaza, particularly in the heavily damaged northern region.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz condemned Hamas’ decision as an “outright violation of the cease-fire,” according to the Times of Israel.
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The delay has sparked protests in Israel, with relatives of the hostages gathering outside the Ministry of Defense to demand action.
As the Saturday deadline approaches, the international community will be closely watching to see whether Hamas complies with Trump’s demand or whether the region will face another escalation of violence. For now, the president’s warning has set the stage for a tense and uncertain few days in the Middle East.
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