#JUST IN: Hamas Dismisses Trump’s Threats!! Demands Lasting Ceasefire for Hostage Release

Hamas dismissed a stern warning from President Donald Trump on Thursday, insisting it will only release the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The militant group accused Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of undermining a January ceasefire deal, which outlined a second phase of negotiations for hostage releases, Palestinian prisoner swaps, and an Israeli withdrawal.

Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua emphasized that talks, delayed since early February, remain the “best path” to free the 24 living hostages—including Israeli-American Edan Alexander—and return the bodies of 34 others held since the October 7, 2023 attack. Trump, after meeting former hostages, demanded their immediate release on Truth Social, warning Hamas of severe consequences.

The first ceasefire phase, ending last Saturday, saw Hamas free 25 hostages and eight bodies for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel now backs a U.S. proposal for Hamas to release half the remaining hostages upfront, but Hamas rejects this, clinging to the original deal. Israel has escalated pressure by blocking food, fuel, and medicine to Gaza’s 2 million residents, threatening further action.

The U.S. confirmed direct talks with Hamas—labeled a terrorist group by Israel and the West—but progress is unclear. Trump supports Israel’s goals of retrieving hostages and eliminating Hamas, potentially clashing with ceasefire efforts. The war, sparked by Hamas’ 2023 attack that killed 1,200 and took 251 hostages, has claimed over 48,000 Palestinian lives, per Gaza’s Health Ministry, and displaced most of the enclave’s population.