President Trump Demands Hamas Release Hostages Immediately
US President Donald Trump demanded on Wednesday that Hamas “IMMEDIATELY give back all 20 hostages,” issuing the call in a post on Truth Social.
“Not 2 or 5 or 7!” he wrote, stressing that if Hamas complied, “things will change rapidly … IT WILL END!” President Trump’s remarks referred only to the 20 hostages believed to be alive, rather than the total 48 still held in Gaza.
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The Hostages and Missing Families Forum quickly responded, saying: “This nightmare cannot end for our nation until ALL 48 hostages are accounted for – both those who survived and those who were brutally murdered during these 700 days of hell.” The group urged the former president to push for the return of all captives.
President Trump’s comments stand in contrast to remarks he made earlier this week, when he argued that Israel’s conduct of the war was “hurting” its global image. In an interview published Monday, he said that although Israel may be winning militarily, it was “not winning in the court of public opinion.”
Meanwhile, Israel is pressing ahead with preparations for a Gaza City operation. The IDF has initiated its largest mobilization of the war, calling up 60,000 reservists. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed soldiers in a recorded message, declaring, “We are working to defeat Hamas … what began in Gaza must end in Gaza.” He praised troops for carrying out difficult decisions and said the country had reached “the stage of decision.”
