US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Hamas, urging the group to quickly return the bodies of deceased hostages, including two Americans, and cautioned that Arab nations involved in peace efforts may “take action” if Hamas fails to comply.
“Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now, and for some reason, they are not,” Trump wrote late Saturday on Truth Social. He added, “Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.”
While all living hostages have been released from Gaza, the remains of 13 deceased hostages have yet to be handed over. Trump emphasized that fair treatment in the peace process applies only if Hamas meets its obligations.
Earlier on Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with the families of Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, two Americans killed in the October 7, 2023, attacks.
Trump’s post followed a brief meeting aboard Air Force One in Doha with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. Qatar has been instrumental in negotiating peace and ceasefire efforts in Gaza. Trump described the Emir as “one of the great rulers of the world” and noted that the Prime Minister “has been my friend.” The discussions reportedly focused on the Gaza peace deal before Trump continued his trip to Asia.
According to the US-proposed ceasefire agreement, Hamas has returned 15 of the 28 bodies of deceased hostages. The group has stated that recovering the remaining bodies requires “significant efforts and special equipment.” Israel is now allowing an Egyptian team with specialized tools to enter Gaza to assist in locating the remaining bodies, two Israeli security officials told CNN.
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