Trump backs 'hard stance' on Gaza, says he does not know what Israel will do

15/2/2025 6:59

President Donald Trump on Friday advocated taking a "hard stance" on Gaza, the Palestinian enclave for which he has proposed a U.S. takeover and where a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants is in place. Trump had said this week that Hamas should release all Israeli hostages in Gaza by Saturday midday or "let hell break out."



"I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow (Saturday) at 12'o clock. If it was up to me, I would take a very hard stance but I can't tell you what Israel is going to do," Trump told reporters on Friday. A ceasefire went into effect just before Trump returned to the presidency on January 20.



Some Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners have been released by Israel since then. The U.N. human rights office has described images of both emaciated Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees released as distressing, saying they reflected the dire conditions in which

they were held.