US President Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump don issue wetin e call “last warning” to Hamas to release di hostages wey dem hold for Gaza.
“I dey send Israel evritin e need to finish di job, not a single Hamas member go dey safe if you no do as I say,” Trump tok for di lengthy post on im Truth Social platform.
Hamas accuse di US president of encouraging Israel to break di ceasefire deal wey currently dey in effect between di two sides.
Trump statement come just hours afta di White House confam say e dey hold direct tok wit Hamas ova di remaining hostages.
Washington don until now avoid direct engagement wit di group, and e get a longstanding US policy against having direct contact wit entities wey e lists as terrorist organisations.
For im social media post, Trump say na “hell to pay” if di hostages no dey released, but e no specify di nature of di support e dey send to Israel.
“Release all of di hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of di dead bodies of di pipo wey you kill, or e dey ova for you,” e add.
“For di leadership, now na di time to leave Gaza, while you still get chance.”
E also appear to issue a wider threat: “Also, to di Pipo of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but no be if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!”
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem tok for statement say such threats “complicate matters regarding di ceasefire agreement and encourage di occupation [Israel] to avoid implementing dia terms”.
No be di first time Trump don threaten Hamas. For December, e say e go be “all hell to pay” if hostages no dey released by di time e take office.
Di post come afta Trump meet wit a group of hostages for di White House wey dem recently release under di ceasefire.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confam say di US dey negotiate directly wit Hamas to try to secure di release of di hostages.
Dem consult Israel bifor di tok, she add.
President Trump believe to do wetin dey in di best interest of di American pipo, Leavitt tell reporters.
Di work of di special envoy for hostages, Adam Boehler, work was a “good faith effort to do wetin dey right for di American pipo”, she add.
“Two direct meetings” don take place between Hamas and a US official, “preceded by several communications”, a Palestinian source tell di BBC.
News of di tok dey first reported by Axios, wey tok say di two sides dey meet for Qatar to discuss di release of US hostages as well as a wider deal to end di war.
Di Israeli military launch a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, wia dem kill about 1,200 pipo and dem take 251 as hostage.
At least 48,440 pipo got killed for Gaza since den, according to di territory Hamas-run health ministry.
Israel say e still get 59 hostages wey dey held for Gaza, wit up to 24 wey dem believe say dem dey alive.
Five US citizens dey among di captives. One of dem, Edan Alexander, dey believed to be alive and di oda other four dey presumed dead.
A former US deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for di Middle East say di US need to dey “more proactive” about getting dia citizens back.
Mick Mulroy, wey also be ex-CIA paramilitary officer, add say “e fit complicate di Israelis ability to get dia citizens back if not tightly coordinated”.
Israel prime minister office tok for statement say dem don “express dia position” regarding di direct tok, but no provide any further information.
According to reports, Boehler meet wit Hamas representatives for di Qatari capital, Doha, in recent weeks.
Hamas get a base for Doha since 2012, reportedly at di request of di Obama administration.
Di small but influential Gulf state na key US ally for di region. E host a major American air base and don handle many delicate political negotiations, including wit Iran, di Taliban and Russia.
Alongside di US and Egypt, Qatar don also play a major role in to broker ceasefire between Israel and Hamas for Gaza.