Ceasefire is only way to bring Israeli hostages home, says Hamas official

A Hamas official said on Feb 11 that Israeli hostages can be brought home from Gaza only if a fragile ceasefire is respected, dismissing the "language of threats" after US President Donald Trump said he would "let hell break out" if they were not freed.

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CAIRO - A Hamas official said on Feb 11 that Israeli hostages can be brought home from Gaza only if a fragile ceasefire is respected, dismissing the "language of threats" after US President Donald Trump said he would "let hell break out" if they were not freed.

Hamas has started releasing some hostages gradually under the ceasefire in place since Jan 19, but has postponed freeing any more until further notice, accusing Israel of violating the terms by continuing attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Mr Trump, a close ally of Israel, said on Feb 10 that Hamas should release all the hostages held by the militant group by midday on Feb 15, or he would propose cancelling the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country remained determined to get all the hostages back.

"We will continue to take determined and ruthless action until we return all of our hostages - the living and the deceased," he said in a statement mourning Israeli Shlomo Mansour after the military confirmed he was killed during the Hamas attack on Oct 7, 2023, that triggered the Gaza war.

Mr Trump has enraged Palestinians and Arab leaders and upended decades of US policy, which endorsed a possible two-state solution in the region, by trying to impose his vision of Gaza, which has been devastated by an Israeli military offensive and is short of food, water and shelter, and in need of foreign aid.