&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Hamas should be confronted, destroyed': Trump falsely claims he 'got hundreds of hostages' released - How many were actually freed by Hamas?")
US President Donald Trump has openly backed Israel’s planned expansion of the war into Gaza City, saying that hostages will only be released once Hamas is completely defeated. “We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He also pointed to his past record, claiming, “Remember, I was the one who negotiated and got hundreds of hostages freed and released into Israel (and America!).” In reality, during the January-March ceasefire, Hamas released 30 hostages, including 20 Israeli civilians, five soldiers, and five Thai nationals, along with the bodies of eight killed captives. Another hostage, a dual American-Israeli citizen, was freed in May as a “gesture” to the US.
Trump claims credit for ending wars and hitting Iran
In the same post, Trump added, “I was the one who ended 6 wars, in just 6 months. I was the one who OBLITERATED Iran’s Nuclear facilities. Play to WIN, or don’t play at all!”
What did Netanyahu say about protests in Israel?
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On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at nationwide protests calling for an end to the Gaza war, accusing demonstrators of strengthening Hamas’s hand. “Those who call today for ending the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas’s position and distancing the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the atrocities of October 7 will repeat themselves again and again,” he told ministers at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. Netanyahu stressed that Israel must defeat and disarm Hamas before any ceasefire deal can be reached.
Why does Netanyahu insist on continuing the Gaza offensive?
The Israeli leader argued that Hamas demands a full withdrawal from Gaza, including from the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egyptian border, which he said would enable the group to “regroup, rearm, and attack us again.” He confirmed he is “determined to implement” a cabinet decision to push forward with the Israeli Defence Forces’ operation in Gaza City, describing it as vital for Israel’s long-term security.
