Earlier that day, Hamas dismissed former US President Donald Trump’s latest ultimatum and reiterated its stance that it would only free the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire.
The group accused Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to backtrack on the ceasefire agreement reached in January, which outlined a framework for negotiations on a second phase—one that included hostage releases in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua reaffirmed that negotiations on this phase were supposed to begin in early February, calling it “the best path to free the remaining Israeli hostages.” However, only limited preparatory talks have taken place so far.
On Wednesday, Trump issued what he called a “last warning” to Hamas after meeting with eight former hostages. The White House confirmed it had engaged in direct talks with the group, despite its designation as a terrorist organisation by Israel and Western governments.
“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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Only sick and twisted people keep bodies, and you are sick and twisted!”
Both Hamas and Israel have a long-standing practice of retaining their adversaries’ remains for potential prisoner-hostage exchanges. Hamas is believed to still be holding 24 living hostages, including Israeli-American Edan Alexander, who was taken during the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. The group is also in possession of the bodies of 34 others, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 war.
During the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, which ended on Saturday, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel has since backed what it describes as a new US proposal for the second phase, under which Hamas would release half of the remaining hostages immediately, with the rest freed once a permanent ceasefire is agreed upon. Hamas, however, has rejected the plan, insisting on the terms of the original January agreement.
In an attempt to pressure Hamas into accepting the revised deal, Israel has cut off the delivery of food, fuel, medicine, and other essential supplies to Gaza’s roughly two million residents. It has also warned of “additional consequences” should Hamas refuse to resume hostage releases.
The extent of progress made in the US-Hamas talks remains unclear. The Trump administration has maintained full backing for Israel’s primary war objectives—securing the return of all hostages and eliminating Hamas—two goals that may prove difficult to reconcile.
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