Taking to Truth Social, President Donald Trump has told the Hamas terror group to "immediately" give back the 20 living hostages, and "things will change rapidly," saying "it will end."
In response to Trump's post on Wednesday, Hamas issued a statement saying it would end the war and would set up a government of technocrats. However, Hamas conditioned this on a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office described Hamas' response as "spin and nothing new." It appears that under Hamas' conditions, Hamas would maintain authority and its arms.
Israel: 5 conditions for ending the war
Israel's Prime Minister's office reiterated Israel's five conditions for ending the war immediately. These include:
- All the hostages returned.
- Hamas disarmament.
- Gaza demilitarized.
- Israel retains overall security control of Gaza.
- A non-Israeli, peaceful civilian administration.
The prime minister has repeatedly said Gaza cannot continue to be ruled by Hamas, which carried out the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel's southern border.
Netanyahu has also repeatedly cited the Palestinian Authority's "Pay for Slay" payments to terrorists and their families, as well as what he called "rampant Incitement" in Palestinian schools against Israelis and Jews, as being reasons why the PA cannot rule in Gaza. The Prime Minister's Office said only the five conditions will prevent Hamas from rearming and repeating the Oct. 7 attack again and again, as Hamas openly vows to do.
Houthis fired third missile at Israel in 24 hours
In support of Hamas, the Iranian-backed Houthis fired a third missile at Israel in 24 hours.
Their second missile, aimed at Jerusalem, was found to carry a cluster bomb warhead. Two of the missiles were intercepted, and one fell outside of Israel.
Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened a response of biblical proportions.
Protesters demand a ceasefire and a hostage deal
Meanwhile, thousands of protesters gathered outside Netanyahu's private Jerusalem apartment, demanding a deal to free all the hostages and end the war. Some protesters torched the car of an IDF reservist.
Netanyahu slammed what he called "the funded, organized, political" anti-government protests for "vandalizing property, blocking roads, and making millions of citizens miserable."
Following this incident, the public raised 200,000 NIS to replace the burned car.
Jodie Cohen is a Middle East Correspondent, working with Newsmax since July 2023.
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