US President Donald Trump says he might lose patience with ceasefire over condition of hostages
Donald Trump says he’s losing patience with the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas after seeing footage of the Palestinian militant group release Israeli hostages over the weekend, whose appearance he compared to Holocaust survivors.
The US President’s reaction to seeing images of the three hostages, who appeared gaunt upon their release on Saturday, brought fresh uncertainty over the deal’s fate before all remaining 76 hostages are freed and came days after the he called for the removal of Palestinians from the enclave and for the US to take control of it.
“They look like Holocaust survivors. They were in horrible condition. They were emaciated,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to New Orleans to attend the Super Bowl.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“I don’t know how much longer we can take that ... at some point we’re going to lose our patience.”
“I know we have a deal ... they dribble in and keep dribbling in ... but they are in really bad shape,” Trump said of the Israeli hostages.
Ohad Ben Ami and Eli Sharabi, who were taken hostage from Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and Or Levy, who was abducted that day from the Nova music festival, were led onto a Hamas podium by gunmen on Saturday ahead of their release to Israeli authorities.
The three men appeared in worse condition than the 18 other hostages previously freed under the truce, which was agreed to on January 15 months into the war. Many Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel have also appeared thin and emaciated.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday the sight of the frail hostages was shocking and would be addressed. In exchange for the three men, Israel freed 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday.
Trump also said he remained committed to having the US buy and take ownership of Gaza after Palestinians leave or are removed from the enclave, a surprise announcement he made February 4 during Mr Netanyahu’s recent visit to Washington. He said other countries may take part in rebuilding sections of Gaza.
“As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it, other people may do it, through our auspices. But we’re committed to owning it, taking it, and making sure that Hamas doesn’t move back.”
Upon his return to Israel from the United States, Netanyahu reiterated his support for the proposal during a cabinet meeting.
“President Trump came with a completely different, much better vision for Israel -- a revolutionary, creative approach that we are currently discussing,” the prime minister said.
Mr Netanyahu sparked fury when he said in a television interview that a Palestinian state could be “in Saudi Arabia”.
The Saudi foreign ministry stressed its “categorical rejection to such statements”, while Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said such ideas “are nothing more than mere fantasies or illusions”.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz became the latest world leaders to denounce Trump’s plan.
Scholz, speaking during a pre-election debate, described Trump’s plan as “a scandal”, adding: “The relocation of a population is unacceptable and against international law.”
