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‘Shalom Hamas': Trump threatens Palestinian terrorist group

The ultimatum to release the remaining hostages in Gaza or face severe consequences was delivered after an Oval Office meeting with freed captives.

Trump hostages
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with released hostages in the Oval Office at the White House on March 5, 2025. Credit: Molly Riley/White House.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Hamas in a social-media post on Wednesday after an Oval Office meeting with a delegation of eight freed Israeli hostages.

“‘Shalom Hamas’ means hello and goodbye—you can choose,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is over for you. Only sick and twisted people keep bodies, and you are sick and twisted.”

“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,” the president added. “Release the hostages now, or there will be hell to pay later.”

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Benny Gantz, JNS editor-in-chief Jonathan S. Tobin, Gilad Erdan, Mosab Hassan Yousef, Nissim Black and leading voices in security, diplomacy, media, law and Jewish communal affairs headline the summit’s third day in Jerusalem.