The US president has urged the Palestinian militant group to accept a deal to release Israeli hostages in Gaza

US President Donald Trump has issued a "last warning" to Hamas, demanding the Palestinian militant group release Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

Trump warned of unspecified consequences if Hamas refuses to cooperate, in a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.

"The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning," the US president said without providing further details.

Hours after Trump made the remarks, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened Hamas with annihilation and demanded the Palestinian militants lay down their arms.

"This is a final warning to the Hamas murderers and rapists in Gaza and in luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages and put down your weapons - or Gaza will be destroyed and you will be annihilated," Katz wrote on X.

Hamas has signaled readiness to "immediately sit at the negotiating table" after hearing what it described as "some ideas from the American side aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement."

The latest "last warning" echoed a threat made by Trump in March, when he urged Hamas to immediately release all the living hostages and turn over the bodies of the deceased or end up "dead."

Hamas took around 250 people hostage during the October 7, 2023 surprise attack on southern Israel that left at least 1,200 people dead and prompted the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The group is believed to still hold in custody nearly 50 of them, with around half presumed to still be alive.

The conflict, which has dragged on for nearly two years, has taken a heavy toll on the Palestinian enclave, leaving at least 64,000 dead, according to the local health authorities. Israeli military ground operations and heavy artillery and aerial bombardment caused widespread destruction across Gaza and displaced most of its residents.

(RT.com)