Donald Trump Issues Ominous Warning About Hamas' Hostages

It is "not going to end well" for U.S. hostages still in captivity in Gaza, former president Donald Trump has said, ahead of the expected release of a third group of Hamas-held hostages on Sunday.

"Has anybody noticed that Hamas has returned people from other countries but, so far, has not returned one American hostage?" the probable 2024 presidential candidate wrote in a post to social media platform Truth Social on Saturday.

"There is only one reason for that, NO RESPECT FOR OUR COUNTRY OR OUR LEADERSHIP," Trump added. "This is a very sad and dark period of America!"

"Hamas now wants a better deal for hostages," Trump wrote. "This is not going to end well!"

Dozens of hostages have now been released under a fragile truce deal that has halted the weeks of bloodshed in the Gaza Strip following Hamas' shock October 7 attacks on Israel.

However, U.S. citizens have not yet been among them. It is thought that Hamas still has 10 American hostages after mother and daughter, Judith and Natalie Raanan, were released last month.

A senior official had told the media ahead of the truce that two U.S. women and a young child were expected to be among the released hostages. A senior official in President Joe Biden's administration then said on Saturday that American hostages would not be released in the second group, which emerged from captivity late on Saturday.

Newsweek has contacted the White House and Trump for comment via email.

U.S. National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, told NBC on Sunday that the U.S. had "reason to believe that one of those Americans will be released today," referring to the two women and the young girl.

Hamas gunmen took an estimated 240 hostages into Gaza during the violence of the October 7 attacks, after which Israel vowed to destroy the group and started an extensive bombing campaign in the north of the territory. Israel's military then launched a ground operation around the densely populated Gaza City, which has been paused under the temporary ceasefire.

On Friday, Hamas handed over an initial group of 13 Israeli hostages, 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino citizen, adding to the five who had already left Gaza. The hostages were returned under a deal to exchange 50 hostages in Gaza for 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, released under the 4-day truce between Israel and Hamas. The Thai nationals were released under a separate deal.

On Friday, Biden said the government expected "dozens" of hostages to return to their families during the ceasefire, adding: "We also remember all those who are still being held and renew our commitment to work for their release as well."

U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has described the safety of Americans overseas as his "highest priority."

Speaking in Massachusetts, Biden said ahead of the weekend that he believed there was a "real" possibility that the truce could be extended.

But it is a precarious one. The second wave of hostages were released after delays on Saturday, with Hamas accusing Israel of breaking its side of the deal over aid in northern Gaza, which Israel denied.

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