Donald Trump has given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the green light to handle the next phase of the ceasefire negotiations with Hamas as he sees fit. Speaking on the tarmac following his appearance at the Daytona 500, Trump shared his latest stance on the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
"I told Bibi, you do whatever you want," he revealed. In mid-January, Trump played a role in brokering a ceasefire deal, which hinged on the full release of hostages held by Hamas. However, when it finally became evident that Hamas might not uphold its part of the deal, Trump issued a stark warning, saying, "all hell is going to break out."
No More Talks and Deals
"My statement was they've got to come back now. The reason I made that statement is because they said they weren't going to deliver the people that they agreed to deliver."
Trump said that after his firm response, Hamas released all the hostages, including an American. Now, as focus shifts to the next stage of the ceasefire deal, Trump said he has left it up to Netanyahu to decide the best course of action.
"That'll be up to Israel what the next step is,' he said, before quickly adding: 'in consultation with me."
Trump provided an update on the most recent hostages released by Hamas, saying that they are in "fairly good shape." "Good news," he said, "because the people from the week before didn't look like they were in good shape.
"They looked like Holocaust survivors. Whatever happened to them was horrible."
Netanyahu also discussed his country's ongoing efforts in a joint statement with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, highlighting the "shared strategy" both nations have regarding Gaza.
Yet Another Warning from Israel
The two leaders warned that if Hamas fails to release all hostages as agreed, they are prepared to unleash severe retaliation.
"We can't always share the details of this strategy with the public, including when the gates of hell will be opened, as they surely will if all our hostages are not released until the last one," the statement read.
"We will eliminate Hamas' military capability and its political rule in Gaza. We will bring all our hostages home, and we will ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel."
Hamas has remained the de factor ruler of Gaza during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement and has repeatedly insisted on retaining power in ongoing negotiations.
However, Trump and Netanyahu have made it unmistakably clear that they do not see any future scenario where Hamas remains in control.
"Peace through strength. You understand that, right? It's called peace through strength," President Trump said on Sunday.
Netanyahu backs Trump's ambitious proposal to relocate two million Palestinians to another country, such as Jordan or Egypt, while transforming Gaza into a luxury destination referred to as the "Riviera of the Middle East."
