President Donald Trump’s recent warning was disregarded by the Hamas terror organization on Thursday, as they insisted on not releasing additional Israeli captives unless a lasting ceasefire arrangement for the Gaza Strip is in place.
Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua, a spokesperson for Hamas, stated that engaging in discussions regarding the follow-up phase of the ceasefire treaty is the most effective approach to secure the release of the remaining Israeli prisoners.
The initial 42-day ceasefire period came to a close on Saturday. While plans for a second phase were envisioned to kick off in early February, talks have been limited in scope thus far.
Hamas’ response comes after Trump met with eight former hostages in Washington and posted what he called a “last warning” to Hamas on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday.
Hamas is believed to still have 24 living hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that led to the ongoing war. It is also holding the bodies of 34 others who were either killed in the initial attack or in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 war.
Destroyed buildings by Israeli bombardments in the northern Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Hamas terrorists killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and took a total of 251 people hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.
Israel’s military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.
Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
