Trump says remaining hostages will be released when Hamas is ‘confronted and destroyed’
Trump’s comments come as Hamas has reportedly reentered ceasefire negotiations
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters with the British prime minister (out of frame) during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025. Photo by Suzanne Plunkett/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
(JTA) — President Donald Trump said Monday morning that the remaining hostages in Gaza will only be returned when Hamas is “confronted and destroyed.”
“We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be,” wrote Trump in a post on Truth Social.
Trump’s latest comments appeared to support a recent plan approved by Israel’s security cabinet to take over Gaza City, a move reportedly opposed by the IDF over concerns it could endanger the remaining hostages.
Israel’s plan to expand its offensive in Gaza has reportedly prompted Hamas to reengage in ceasefire negotiations.
On Monday, Hamas presented Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani with a new ceasefire proposal that would see the release of 10 living hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners over a 60-day period, according to the Times of Israel.
The proposal appears largely in line with one that Israel had previously offered. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel will no longer accept any partial deals, insisting that the war will only end if Hamas agrees to disarm, return the hostages, demilitarize Gaza, grant Israel “security control” of the enclave and create a new civil administration separate from Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
On Monday, Netanyahu met with the IDF senior command staff about the Gaza takeover plan, saying in a statement that “Hamas is under immense pressure.”
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