Trump again threatens Hamas with 'hell' to pay if it doesn't release 'all' hostages
President Donald Trump this week once again threatened Hamas will have "hell to pay" if it doesn't release "all" of its remaining hostages -- including an American-Israeli -- now claiming this would be his "last warning" and that "it will be OVER" for Hamas if it does not comply.
"RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!" Trump wrote on his social media platform Wednesday, the latest in several similar threats.
"I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don't do as I say," Trump also wrote, demanding "all of the Hostages now, not later."
Trump's message came shortly after he met with eight of the released hostages from Gaza in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
"The President listened intently to their heartbreaking stories," press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X. "The hostages thanked President Trump for his steadfast efforts to bring all of the hostages home."
Adi and Yael Alexander, the parents of the last living American-Israeli hostage, Edan Alexander, attended Trump's joint address to Congress on Tuesday.
On Thursday, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff reiterated the president's threat, saying, "I wouldn't test President Trump."
Witkoff emphasized that "there's going to be some action taken" if the hostages are not released. "It could be jointly with the Israelis ... it's unclear right now," he added.
When asked in the Oval Office on Thursday what type of action Trump would take and whether he would potentially join military strikes with Israel, the president responded, "you're going to find out."
MORE: Unpacking Trump's brazen proposal for a US takeover of Gaza: ANALYSIS
Hamas brushed off Trump's threat but argued that the president's language serves to empower Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Such positions are what give the war criminal Netanyahu the strength and ability to continue his crimes as long as he receives absolute support and encouragement to commit more crimes against 2.4 million people," head of the Gaza Government Office said in response.
"Trump's threats against Hamas are unjustified and hold no value," Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement to a Hamas-affiliated news agency, arguing that they are not intimidated by the president's words. "Such threats should be directed at those refusing to implement the agreement, not those committed to it."
MORE: Hamas threatens to kill hostages if Israeli attacks resume
In a new statement Thursday, a Hamas military spokesperson threatened to kill more hostages if there is "any escalation of aggression against our people."
"The enemy has resorted to bullying, stalling, and reckless aggression," the spokesman added, saying "the enemy's threats are a sign of weakness and humiliation."
After Phase 1 of the ceasefire expired on Saturday, negotiations for Phase 2 remained on shaky ground.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last Saturday that the U.S. is expediting delivery of $4 billion in military assistance to Israel, claiming the move was a reversal of what he called a "partial arms embargo" imposed by former President Joe Biden.
Biden denied withholding arms to Israel, other than pausing a single shipment of MK-84 2,000-pound bombs in May 2024, saying it would endanger Palestinian civilians if Israel used them in densely populated areas of Gaza.
President Trump lifted the pause when he returned to the White House.
Israel halted all entry of food and other supplies to Gaza on Sunday, hours after announcing a U.S.-proposed ceasefire extension through Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday to end on April 20.
MORE: Israel block on Gaza aid coordinated with Trump administration, Israeli source says
Hamas has refused to accept the proposed extension, calling it a breach of three-phase deal originally agreed upon, which included an extension of the recent ceasefire, and said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.
On Tuesday, U.S. officials were directly negotiating with Hamas at an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo. The summit adopted the Egyptian plan to rebuild Gaza without the displacement of Palestinian people, which Israel has rejected.
It had remained unclear what Trump means exactly when threatening "hell."
Last month, the president demanded that if Hamas didn't release "all of the hostages" by noon on Saturday, Feb. 15, "all bets are off, and let hell break out."
MORE: Trump threatened 'all hell' if Hamas didn't free all its hostages. What happened?
Yet the deadline came and went, and Hamas did not free "all" of the hostages -- they freed the three hostages that were scheduled to be released according to the original ceasefire agreement.
The seventh and final hostage swap of Phase 1 occurred on Feb. 26, where 4 bodies were returned to Israel in exchange for 642 Palestinian prisoners.
Fifty-eight hostages remain in Gaza -- 24 of whom are presumed to be alive. Alexander is the last American-Israeli hostage to remain alive in captivity.
Trump has been promising "hell" for months, making this threat even before he was officially sworn into office on Jan. 20.
ABC News' Morgan Winsor, Will Gretsky, Ellie Kaufman, Shannon Kingston, and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
Trump again threatens Hamas with 'hell' to pay if it doesn't release 'all' hostages originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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Hamilton Spectator
18 minutes ago
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How Israeli strikes dealt a serious blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions
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Nuclear regulators said the assault was unlikely to lead to increased levels of radiation, even at the site where part of the fuel-enrichment plant was destroyed. Here's a closer look at the attack and its likely effects on Iran's nuclear efforts. What impact will the attacks have on Iran's nuclear program? Israel killed top military figures and nuclear scientists and destroyed part of a key enrichment site. There is 'no question' it did substantial damage, said Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iran's nuclear program at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London. David Albright, a nuclear weapons expert, speculated that the initial wave of attacks could set back any Iranian attempt to develop a nuclear weapon by about a year. A key question, Hinz said, is whether Israel also targeted suppliers of specialist components such as centrifuges and subcontractors. Israel's strategy appears to be to 'destroy the brains' behind the program and 'as much equipment as possible,' said Albright, who agreed that Israel has potentially done a 'tremendous amount of damage' to the program. Israel is widely believed to be behind a series of attacks in recent years that targeted Iranian nuclear scientists and sabotaged nuclear facilities. What damage was done to Iran's nuclear facilities? Hinz suggested a key Israeli goal was to undermine Iran's ability to make centrifuges, which are critical for enriching uranium. Uranium enrichment is a key component of building a nuclear weapon, but weapons also require detonators and a means of delivery, like missiles. Iran has two uranium-enrichment sites, and the country said Wednesday that it has built and will activate a third enrichment facility. On Thursday, Israel struck Iran's main and oldest facility in Natanz, 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, which was protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The IAEA's chief, Rafael Grossi, told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday that the above-ground part of the plant where uranium was enriched up to 60% was destroyed, along with electrical infrastructure, including a substation, the main electric power supply building, the emergency power supply and backup generators. Grossi said there were no changes to radiation levels following the attack or any indication of damage to the underground section of the plant. That part of the facility is buried to protect it from airstrikes and contains the bulk of Natanz's enrichment facilities, with 10,000 centrifuges that enrich uranium up to 5%, Albright said. However, Grossi said, the loss of power may have damaged centrifuges. There is a good chance the strikes still caused 'massive damage,' Hinz said because many of the centrifuges were probably operating at the time of the strike. Centrifuges, Albright said, 'don't like vibration,' and the shock waves or loss of power could break delicate parts when they are rotating at high speed. What about the Fordo nuclear site? Most of Iran's centrifuges are in Natanz, the experts said, because a lot of them are required to enrich uranium to 5% — which is the maximum level normally used for nuclear-fueled power stations. But, buried under a huge mountain at Fordo, around 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tehran, is another nuclear facility where Iran is also enriching uranium to 60%, which is only a short step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. According to the IAEA, Tehran has the largest number of its most powerful centrifuges at Fordo. An Iranian news outlet close to the government reported Friday that two explosions were heard near the Fordo site. But, while Israel could potentially hit the entrance to Fordo and temporarily block access, it is not believed to have the type of earth-penetrating bombs required to blow up the mountain and crack open the nuclear facility inside, Hinz said. That capacity lies with the U.S., which has developed a massive bomb that can be dropped only from large aircraft that Israel does not have in service, he said. The potential for more strikes loomed large. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the attacks will continue 'for as many days at it takes to remove this threat.' Hinz said the attacks showed Israeli intelligence had 'absolutely exceptional' knowledge of Iran's nuclear program and the ability to strike at key targets 'with precision.' That could mean Israel could sabotage the plant, rather than trying to blast the mountain open. Albright suggested Israel could try to cut off electricity to Fordo, which could lead to centrifuges breaking. Is there risk from radiation? Although Grossi said part of the enrichment facility at Natanz was destroyed, he noted that radiation levels had not spiked. Even if radiation did leak, experts said, the amount would be unlikely to pose a risk to people in the region or even those near the facilities that got hit. 'Very little uranium will be released in these kind of attacks,' Albright said. Uranium itself is not especially toxic, he said, and is common in parts of the environment. A person standing near an enrichment facility with a leak would probably be exposed to no more radiation than someone who took several transatlantic flights, which receive slightly higher radiation because radiation doses are larger at high altitudes, he said. In order to become sick, someone would have to ingest large quantities of uranium, Albright said, pointing out that the element can be found naturally in seawater and the earth's crust. Rather than radiation, the greater risk might be from fluorine, which is used to enrich uranium and could have been deadly to those nearby if released during an attack. Fluorine is mixed with the uranium during enrichment to turn it into a gas called uranium hexafluoride. It is extremely volatile, will quickly corrode and can burn the skin. It is especially deadly if inhaled. ___ The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation . The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? 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San Francisco Chronicle
19 minutes ago
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Takeaways from AP's investigation of US death benefits program for public safety officers
A federal program that provides benefits to families of police officers and firefighters who die and become disabled on duty is rapidly growing while facing criticism for increasing delays in deciding claims. Congress created the Public Safety Officers' Benefits program in 1976 to guarantee that the spouses and children of officers who put their lives on the line would receive financial support. But repeated expansions in eligibility approved by Congress, including three passed in the last five years, have made the program more popular and complex to administer. Critics say the program fails some families by taking too long to grant or deny benefits and making inconsistent rulings. An Associated Press analysis found that hundreds of families are waiting years to learn whether they qualify for payments, and more are ultimately being denied. 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The benefits program isn't meeting its timeframe goal Volcy's experience isn't unique, and some cases take longer. As of late April, more than 120 claims by surviving relatives or disabled first responders have been awaiting initial determinations or rulings on their appeals for more than five years, according AP's findings. About a dozen have waited over a decade for an answer. The program has a goal of making determinations within one year but has not taken steps to track its progress, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report. But roughly three in 10 cases have not met that timeframe in recent years. As of late late April, 900 claims had been pending longer than one year. That includes claims from nearly every state. Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill to require the program to make determinations within 270 days. The denial rate for benefits is up, too Over the last year, the denial rate has increased, with roughly one in three death and disability claims getting rejected. Applicants can appeal to a hearing officer and then the director if they choose, but that isn't common. Many say they can't afford attorneys or want to get on with their lives. Justice Department officials, who oversee the program, say they're making complicated decisions about whether cases meet legal criteria. 'Death and disability claims involving complex medical and causation issues, voluminous evidence and conflicting medical opinions, take longer to determine, as do claims in various stages of appeal,' they said in a statement. Claims have doubled in recent years The program started as a simple $50,000 payout for the families of officers who were fatally shot on duty or died as a result of other violence or dangers. 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San Francisco Chronicle
19 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Iran retaliates after Israeli strikes targeting its nuclear program and military
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel into Saturday morning, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear program and its armed forces. Israel's assault used warplanes, as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance, to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists. Israel asserted the barrage was necessary before Iran got any closer to building an atomic weapon, although experts and the U.S. government have assessed that Tehran was not actively working on such a weapon before the strikes. It also threw talks between the United States and Iran over an atomic accord into disarray days before the two sides were set to meet Sunday. Iran retaliated by launching drones and later firing waves of ballistic missiles at Israel, where explosions lit the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook the buildings below. The Israeli military urged civilians, already rattled by the raging Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, to head to shelter for hours. Iranian missiles strike Israel Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a recorded message Friday: 'We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed.' Iran's U.N. ambassador said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded in Israeli attacks. Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel late Friday and early Saturday. A hospital in Tel Aviv treated seven people wounded in the second Iranian barrage; all but one of them had light injuries. Israel's Fire and Rescue Services said they were injured when a projectile hit a building in the city. A spokesperson for Beilinson Hospital said one woman was killed. Hours later, an Iranian missile struck near homes in the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, killing two people and injuring 19, according to Israel's paramedic service Magen David Adom. Israel's Fire and Rescue service said four homes were severely damaged. Meanwhile, the sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets echoed across central Tehran shortly after midnight on Saturday. An Associated Press journalist could hear air raid sirens near their home. Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported a fire at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport, with a video posted on X of a column of smoke and orange flames rising from what the outlet said was the airport. Israel's paramedic services said 34 people were wounded in the barrage on the Tel Aviv area, including a woman who was critically injured after being trapped under rubble. In Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, an AP journalist saw burned-out cars and at least three damaged houses, including one where the front was nearly entirely torn away. U.S. ground-based air defense systems in the region were helping to shoot down Iranian missiles, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the measures. Strikes raise fears of all-out war Israel's ongoing airstrikes and intelligence operation and Iran's retaliation raised concerns about all-out war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval. Countries in the region condemned Israel's attack, while leaders around the globe called for immediate deescalation from both sides. Israel had long threatened such a strike, and successive American administrations sought to prevent it, fearing it would ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East and possibly be ineffective at destroying Iran's dispersed and hardened nuclear program. But a confluence of developments triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack — plus the reelection of U.S. President Donald Trump — created the conditions that allowed Israel to finally follow through on its threats. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the U.S. was informed in advance of the attack. On Thursday, Iran was censured by the U.N.'s atomic watchdog for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. Israel's military said about 200 aircraft were involved in the initial attack on about 100 targets. Its Mossad spy agency positioned explosive drones and precision weapons inside Iran ahead of time, and used them to target Iranian air defenses and missile launchers near Tehran, according to two security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. It was not possible to independently corroborate the officials' claims. Among the key sites Israel attacked was Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, where black smoke could be seen rising into the air. It also appeared to strike a second, smaller nuclear enrichment facility in Fordo, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Tehran, according to an Iranian news outlet close to the government that reported hearing explosions nearby. Israel said it struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan, too, and said it destroyed dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran. Iran confirmed the strike at Isfahan. Israel military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the Natanz facility was 'significantly damaged' and that the operation was 'still in the beginning.' Above-ground section of Natanz facility destroyed U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. He said all the electrical infrastructure and emergency power generators were destroyed, as well as a section of the facility where uranium was enriched up to 60%, which is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to have been hit, but the loss of power could have damaged the infrastructure there, he said. The first wave of strikes had given Israel 'significant freedom of movement' in Iran's skies, clearing the way for further attacks, according to an Israeli military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the attack with the media. Over the past year, Israel has been targeting Iran's air defenses, hitting a radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery in April 2024 and surface-to-air missile sites and missile manufacturing facilities in October. The official said Israel is prepared for an operation that could last up to two weeks, but that there was no firm timeline. Among those killed were three of Iran's top military leaders: one who oversaw the entire armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; one who led the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami; and the head of the Guard's ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh. Netanyahu said the attack had been months in the making. In a video statement sent to journalists Friday, he said he ordered plans for the attack last November, soon after the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, one of Iran's strongest proxies. Netanyahu said the attack was planned for April but was postponed. In its first response Friday, Iran fired more than 100 drones at Israel. Israel said the drones were being intercepted outside its airspace, and it was not immediately clear whether any got through. Israel's military said it called up reservists and began stationing troops throughout the country as it braced for further retaliation from Iran or Iranian proxy groups. Trump urged Iran on Friday to reach a deal with the U.S. on its nuclear program, warning on his Truth Social platform that Israel's attacks 'will only get worse.' ___ Lidman and Frankel reported from Jerusalem.
