Trump Calls for Gaza Ceasefire Cancellation Unless All Hostages Are Freed

U.S. President Donald Trump has called for the immediate cancellation of the Gaza ceasefire if all Israeli hostages are not released by Saturday, escalating pressure on Hamas following delays in the planned hostage exchange.

“I want all of them, not in dribs and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two,” Trump told reporters. He added that if the hostages are not freed, “all hell is going to break out,” warning Hamas that they will “find out what I mean.” However, he clarified that his stance was personal and that Israel has the authority to make its own decisions.

Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to travel to Doha to negotiate further releases after receiving a recent sign of life from twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, who were kidnapped from Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023. “Bring everyone home. Time is running out,” Lapid wrote on social media.

Netanyahu also expressed condolences for the family of Shlomo Mansour, an Israeli hostage confirmed to have been killed during the October 7 attacks and whose body remains in Gaza. “We will neither rest nor be silent until he is returned for burial in Israel,” Netanyahu stated, vowing to continue efforts to retrieve both living and deceased hostages.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged all parties to uphold the ceasefire, warning that renewed hostilities would lead to immense suffering. He called on Hamas to proceed with the planned hostage releases and for both sides to fully comply with the agreement.