Israel Hamas criticizes Trump's statements
Hamas has criticized US President Donald Trump's threats against the Islamist Palestinian organization.
06.03.2025, 09:50
SDA
The terrorist organization wrote on its Telegram channel: "These threats complicate matters with regard to the ceasefire agreement and encourage the occupying power (Israel) to evade its obligations."
With an ultimate "final warning", Trump had attempted to further increase the pressure on Hamas. Hamas must immediately release all Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip and also hand over all the bodies of the murdered Israelis "or it's over for you", Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday (local time). At the same time, the US government confirmed direct talks with Hamas about the hostages. Previous US administrations had always officially avoided direct talks with organizations that they classified as terrorist.
So far, Israel and Hamas have been unable to agree on the terms of an extension to the ceasefire. According to Israeli information, the Islamist organization is still holding 24 hostages and 35 bodies of abductees. Five of them also have US citizenship - only one of them, a young man, is still alive according to Israeli information.
Hamas: USA must exert pressure on Israel
The Hamas statement said: "An agreement has been signed, with Washington as mediator, which provides for the release of all prisoners (hostages) in three phases." Hamas had kept to its commitments in the first phase. Israel, on the other hand, was evading its obligations in the second phase. The USA must exert pressure on Israel so that negotiations on the second phase can begin in accordance with the agreement.
The second phase provides for the release of the hostages and a permanent end to the war in Gaza. However, Israel continues to pursue the war goal of the complete destruction of Hamas and considers the continuation of Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip to be unacceptable.
Hamas rejects an extension of the first phase demanded by Israel with the release of further hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners. Israel has emphasized that without the release of further hostages, the war in the Gaza Strip will start all over again.
