Agency – On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump warned the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, engaged in conflict in Gaza that they must release hostages or be prepared to face “hell.” He also directed the Hamas leadership to vacate the Gaza region.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated, “Make the right decision. Release the hostages now, or face the consequences of hell later!” He continued, “A beautiful future awaits the people of Gaza, but it will not be possible if you do not release the hostages.”

In the same post, the U.S. leader told Hamas, “Return all the hostages and the bodies of those you have killed, not later, but immediately.”

“This is your final warning! You still have the opportunity, Hamas, to leave Gaza now,” he wrote. “I am sending everything Israel needs to complete its mission. If you don’t follow my instructions, no member of Hamas will be safe.”

It is believed that five Americans were among those captured during Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Four of them have been confirmed dead, while another, named Adan Alexander, is still alive.

After six weeks of relative peace, the first phase of the ceasefire, which included the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, ended last weekend.

Israel has expressed its desire to extend the first phase of the ceasefire until mid-April, while Hamas insists on moving to the second phase. Hamas officials revealed that they had engaged in direct talks with the U.S. envoy regarding the release of hostages in Gaza.

“Hamas and various U.S. media channels have communicated multiple times, with the most recent meeting involving the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The discussions focused on Israeli prisoners with U.S. citizenship, both dead and alive,” stated a Hamas official.

Other senior Hamas officials confirmed that direct talks with U.S. officials took place twice recently in Doha.