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A shadow of doom looms over the future of Gaza and Palestinians living in the enclave as US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his threat to take over the territory and end the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The American President has warned Hamas that "all hell will break loose" following its threats to postpone the exchange of hostages under the war truce with Israel.
He also stressed that his plan to "take over Gaza" would not include a right of return for the more than 2 million Palestinians that he has said have "no alternative" but to leave because of the destruction left by Israel's military campaign.
Trump's Ceasefire Warning
The Republican leader set a Saturday deadline for all hostages to be released from Gaza, saying that otherwise "all hell" would break out and he would call for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire to be cancelled. The United States' latest extraordinary intervention in the Middle East came after Hamas threatened to postpone any further hostage-prisoner exchanges, placing the fragile six-week truce that took effect on January 19 at risk.
Describing Hamas's move as "terrible", President Trump said would "let that be Israel's decision" on what should ultimately happen to the ceasefire.
"But as far as I'm concerned, if all of the hostages aren't returned by Saturday 12 o'clock -- I think it's an appropriate time -- I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out," Trump said, adding that "all" the remaining hostages should be freed, "not in dribs and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two."
"We want them all back. I'm speaking for myself. Israel can override it, but for myself, Saturday at 12 o'clock -- and if they're not here, all hell is going to break out."
He did not elaborate on what the threat entailed, saying only that "Hamas will find out what I mean." Mr Trump also threatened to halt aid to allies Jordan and Egypt if they refuse to take in Palestinians under his controversial plan for the United States to "take over" Gaza.
"Maybe," Trump told reporters when asked if he would suspend billions of dollars in US assistance."If they don't agree, I would conceivably withhold it."
No Way Home For Palestinians
Trump said Palestinians would have no right to return to Gaza under his US takeover plan, describing his proposal in excerpts of an interview released Monday as a "real estate development for the future."
The remarks are the latest effective endorsement of ethnic cleansing by the US president, who announced his plan last week during a summit with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to the outrage of the Arab world and the surprise of even his closest aides.
In the interview with Fox's Bret Baier, Trump said "I would own it" and that there could be as many as six different sites for Palestinians to live outside Gaza under the plan, which the Arab world and others in the international community have rejected.
Asked if Palestinians would have the right to return to Gaza, Trump told Baier: "No, they wouldn't, because they're going to have much better housing.
"Could be five, six, could be two," he said. "But we'll build safe communities, a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is.
"In other words, I'm talking about building a permanent place for them because if they have to return now, it'll be years before you could ever - it's not habitable," he said.
No serious discussions have so far taken place in the Pentagon or the State Department regarding how the US could legally or logistically handle the task proposed by Mr Trump. But the announcement was welcomed by Israel's far-right settler movement, as well as their evangelical allies in the US who have endorsed the annexation of the Gaza Strip and other occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank.