Trump warns Hamas to return bodies of deceased hostages, says Arab nations may ‘take action’ if group fails to comply
Washington,: US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Hamas, demanding the group promptly return the bodies of deceased hostages, including two Americans, and cautioned that Arab nations involved in peace efforts will “take action” if Hamas does not comply.
“Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly, or the other countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action,” Trump wrote late Saturday on Truth Social. “Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now, and for some reason, they are not.”
He added, “Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.”
According to officials, while all living hostages have been freed from Gaza, the remains of 13 deceased hostages are yet to be returned by Hamas.
Trump reiterated that his promise to treat “both sides fairly” depends on Hamas fulfilling its obligations. “Perhaps it has to do with their disarming, but when I said, ‘Both sides would be treated fairly,’ that only applies if they comply,” he stated.
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 US citizens killed during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks.
The President’s remarks came after 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 played a central role in mediating ceasefire and peace negotiations in Gaza.
Describing his counterparts as “great leaders,” Trump said the discussions centered on advancing the Gaza peace deal before his trip continued to Asia.
So far, Hamas has returned 15 of the 28 bodies listed in the US-brokered ceasefire agreement. The group claims that recovering additional remains requires “special equipment and significant effort.”
Meanwhile, Israel has authorized an Egyptian team equipped with recovery tools to enter Gaza and assist in locating the bodies, Israeli security officials told CNN.
