WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President said Monday that a precarious ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas should be canceled if Hamas doesn鈥檛 release all the remaining hostages it is holding in Gaza by midday on Saturday 鈥� though he also said that such a decision would be up to Israel.
Trump was responding to Hamas saying it will of hostages in the Gaza Strip after accusing Israel of violating the three-week-old ceasefire. The U.S. president said that after the freeing of three visibly emaciated hostages on Saturday it was time for Israel to demand the release of all hostages by noon on Saturday, or restart the war.
鈥淚f they鈥檙e not here, all hell is going to break out," Trump said. He added of the ceasefire, 鈥淐ancel it, and all bets are off.鈥�
Trump said the final decision would be up to Israel, saying, 鈥淚鈥檓 speaking for myself. Israel can override it.鈥� But asked if the U.S. would join in a response to Hamas if hostages weren't freed, Trump added, "Hamas will find out what I mean.鈥�
Those comments came after Trump said in an interview with Fox News Channel that Palestinians in Gaza would not have a right to return under his plan for U.S. 鈥渙wnership鈥� of the war-torn territory 鈥� contradicting other officials in his administration .
Less than a week after he floated and turn it into 鈥渢he Riviera of the Middle East,鈥� Trump, in an interview with Fox News鈥� Bret Baier airing Monday, said 鈥淣o, they wouldn鈥檛鈥� when asked if Palestinians in Gaza would have a right to return to the territory. It comes as he has ramped up pressure on Arab states, especially U.S. , to take in Palestinians from Gaza, who claim the territory as part of a future homeland.
鈥淲e鈥檒l build safe communities, a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚n the meantime, I would own this. Think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land. No big money spent.鈥�
, and Trump is set to host Jordan鈥檚 King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday. In addition to concerns about jeopardizing the long-held goals of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Egypt and Jordan have privately raised security concerns about welcoming large numbers of additional refugees into their countries even temporarily.
When asked how he'd convince Abdullah to take in Palestinians, Trump told reporters, 鈥淚 do think he鈥檒l take, and I think other countries will take also. They have good hearts.鈥�
But he also threatened to potentially withhold billions of dollars of U.S. assistance to Jordan and Egypt if they don't go along with his plan.
鈥淵eah, maybe, sure why not," Trump said. "If they don鈥檛, I would conceivably withhold aid, yes.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 comments risked jeopardizing the already in Gaza after 15 months of war, with the existing framework for negotiations calling for the massive humanitarian and reconstruction assistance for civilians in Gaza.
After Trump鈥檚 initial comments last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Secretary of State Marco Rubio respectfully insisted that Trump only wanted Palestinians relocated from Gaza 鈥渢emporarily鈥� and for an 鈥渋nterim鈥� period to allow for debris removal, the disposal of unexploded ordnance and reconstruction.
Speaking of the condition of the remaining hostages, Trump told reporters Monday that he feared Hamas had released the hostages in the best condition and that many scheduled for release are gravely ill or already dead. 鈥淏ased on what I saw over the past two days, they鈥檙e not going to be alive for long," he said.
In a video message released Saturday after Hamas freed the latest hostages on Saturday, Rachel and Jon Goldberg-Polin, the parents of slain American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, called on Trump and his negotiating team to 鈥渢hink bigger and faster鈥� and press for the release of all the remaining hostages this week.
鈥淎ll 76 hostages out this week,鈥� they said. 鈥淓nd of war. Who benefits from dragging it out for so long? Not the people of this region. Let鈥檚 get it done right now.鈥�
Trump last week to help secure Gaza but at the same time insisted no U.S. funds would go to pay for the reconstruction of the territory, raising fundamental questions about the nature of his plan.
Egypt on Monday reiterated its rejection to the transfer of Palestinians from their territories in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, warning that such proposals threaten 鈥渢he foundations of people鈥� in the Middle East.
In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem its capital is the base for 鈥渃omprehensive and just peace鈥� in the region.
The statement said Egypt rejects any violations to the Palestinians鈥� 鈥渞ight of self-determination 鈥� and independence,鈥� and 鈥渦pholds the right of return for Palestinian refugees who were forced to leave their homeland,鈥� in a reference to hundreds of thousands who were forced to flee their homes in what is now Israel during the 1948 war.
A senior Hamas official blasted Trump鈥檚 latest remarks about the U.S. ownership of Gaza as 鈥渁bsurd.鈥�
Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas' politico bureau, said these comments 鈥渞eflect a deep ignorance of Palestine and the region.鈥�
In comments released by Hamas early Monday, he said Trump鈥檚 approach toward the Palestinian cause will fail.
鈥淒ealing with the Palestinian cause with the mentality of a real estate dealer is a recipe for failure,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur Palestinian people will thwart all transfer and deportation plans.鈥�
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Magdy reported from Cairo.
Zeke Miller And Sam Magdy, The Associated Press
