JERUSALEM, Israel – President Trump issued his last warning to Hamas on Sunday to release the remaining hostages. The Gaza standoff comes as Israel faced terrorist murders in Jerusalem and a drone attack from the Houthis.
In a deadly terror attack in Jerusalem on Monday morning, two Palestinian terrorists killed at least five Israelis and injured nearly twenty. The terrorists boarded a bus and began shooting before they were eliminated.
The terror attack followed a drone attack on Sunday, fired by the Houthis in Yemen, that hit the Ramon Airport in southern Israel. Five people were injured by shrapnel. The airport has resumed operations.
The White House sounded optimistic after Trump made what he considers a final offer to Hamas.
“We’re trying to get it ended, get the hostages back,” he stated. “We got ’em all back but 20, and as you know, we have 20-plus there are a lot of, unfortunately, dead bodies involved, and they want ’em back. The parents want them back. So we had some very good discussions. Good things could happen.”
On Truth Social, Trump had cautioned, “Everyone wants the hostages HOME. Everyone wants this War to end! The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!”
Hamas responded by saying it will immediately sit at the negotiating table to “Discuss the release of all prisoners in exchange for a clear declaration of the end of the war, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the establishment of a committee to manage the Gaza Strip that will be composed of independent Palestinian elements.”
In the meantime, the IDF has destroyed a number of high-rise buildings in Gaza City. The military released a video showing how Hamas uses the buildings as military headquarters.
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The IDF has warned Gazans to leave the city to get themselves to safety. So far, about 100,000 have left. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that Hamas is trying to compel them to stay.
“To remain there so that they can serve as a human shield for them,” Netanyahu explained. “Incidentally, it does not skimp on means. We only recently saw that it shoots women and children in the legs and, if necessary, shoots them.”
Netanyahu also admitted that as the war goes on, Israel is paying a high price in the diplomatic and propaganda realm. He contends that the best way to fight this a victory and a quick end to the war.
“If I have to choose between victory over our enemies and bad propaganda against us, I choose victory over our enemies, rather than the opposite,” the prime minister said. “I don’t want articles that we are defeated by our enemies and that we receive good obituary articles in the world media. I choose victory.”
