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Fears of a breakdown in the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire grew after Hamas on Monday threatened to delay its next release of hostages in the Gaza Strip. US President Donald Trump said that “all hell” would break loose if “all” hostages are not released this Saturday, a threat Hamas on Tuesday said “further complicates matters” for the truce. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments.
Trump warns ‘all hell’ will break out if Hamas does not free hostages
US President Donald Trump said Monday if every Israeli hostage was not released from Gaza by noon on Saturday that “all hell” would break out and he would call for the end of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Trump said the final decision would, however, be up to Israel.
UN chief urges Hamas to continue with the planned release of hostages
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Hamas to continue with the planned release of
hostages on Tuesday, a day after the Palestinian militant group announced its intention to halt the exchange.
“We must avoid at all costs the resumption of hostilities in Gaza that would lead to an immense tragedy,” he said in a statement.
Hamas says Trump warning ‘further complicates’ Gaza truce
A senior Hamas leader said Tuesday that US President Donald Trump’s warning for the group to immediately release all Israeli hostages “further complicates matters” relating to the fragile Gaza truce.
“Trump must remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties and this is the only way to return the prisoners (hostages),” Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP. “The language of threats has no value and further complicates matters,” he added.
Trump and King Abdullah II of Jordan set for tense meeting on Gaza’s future
Donald Trump meets Jordan’s King Abdullah on Tuesday for what is likely to be a tense encounter following the US president’s Gaza redevelopment idea and threat to cut aid to the US-allied Arab country if it refuses to resettle Palestinians.
Trump has proposed the US take control of Gaza and turn it into “the Riviera of the Middle East”, with Palestinians in the war-torn territory pushed into neighbouring nations with no right of return.
King Abdullah has said he rejected any moves to annex land and displace Palestinians. On Tuesday, he is expected to tell
Trump such a move could spur radicalism, spread chaos in the region and jeopardise peace with Israel.
Egypt tells US top diplomat Rubio that Arab states reject Trump’s Gaza plan
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday that Arab states rejected President Donald Trump’s widely condemned plan to displace Palestinians in Gaza and take control of the enclave.
Trump first suggested on January 25 that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians from Gaza.
Trump says ceasefire should be canceled if Hamas doesn’t release all hostages by Saturday
President Donald Trump said Monday that a precarious ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas should be canceled if Hamas doesn’t release all the remaining hostages it is holding in Gaza by midday on Saturday — though he also said that such a decision would be up to Israel.
“If they’re not here, all hell is going to break out,” Trump said. He added of the ceasefire, “Cancel it, and all bets are off.”
Trump said the final decision would be up to Israel, saying, “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it.” But asked if the US would join in a response to Hamas if hostages weren’t freed, Trump added, “Hamas will find out what I mean.”
Yesterday’s developments:
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Hamas said Monday it will delay the further release of hostages in the Gaza Strip after accusing Israel of violating a fragile ceasefire that now faces its most serious crisis since it began three weeks ago.
- Trump said “hell” would “break out” if all hostages were not released by a deadline on Saturday.
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The Israeli military said it would “significantly reinforce” areas around the Gaza Strip after Hamas announced its intention to postpone the release of Israeli hostages, part of a truce agreement for the territory.
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Gaza residents would have a “permanent place” built for them elsewhere, Trump said.
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Egypt rejected “any compromise” that would infringe on Palestinians’ rights, in a statement issued after Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his US counterpart in Washington.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
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