Trump threatens to cancel Gaza deal, open 'gates of hell', and stop aid to Jordan and Egypt

US President Donald Trump threatened to cancel the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if the Israeli prisoners were not released, indicating that he might consider next Saturday as a deadline, and he also threatened to cut off aid to Jordan and Egypt.

"If all the hostages are not returned from Gaza by 12 noon on Saturday, I will call for the ceasefire to be cancelled," Trump said in a series of statements he made Monday at the White House.

He repeated his previous threats that "the gates of hell will open if the hostages are not returned from Gaza." He continued, saying: "I may speak to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu about making Saturday a deadline."

The Republican president did not clarify what he meant by his threat, saying only that "Hamas will find out what I mean." When asked if he would rule out direct U.S. military intervention against the Palestinian movement, Trump replied, "We'll see what happens."

Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) - announced earlier on Monday that the resistance would postpone the release of Israeli prisoners until the occupation committed to the terms of the agreement and compensated for the past weeks retroactively.

He said that "the handover of the Zionist prisoners who were scheduled to be released next Saturday, February 15, will be postponed until further notice and until the occupation complies," accusing Israel of violating the agreement, delaying the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with fire, and preventing the entry of relief supplies.

Egypt and Jordan aid

On the other hand, Trump reiterated his proposal to deport Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egypt and Jordan, threatening this time to cut aid to the two countries.

"I might stop aid to Jordan and Egypt if they don't take refugees," he said. "I think Jordan will take refugees."

This comes amid widespread Arab and Islamic rejection of Trump's plan, who said on Sunday that he seeks to "buy and own Gaza" in order to rebuild it, and he also stressed the expulsion of Palestinians from the Strip without them having the right to return.

Trump proposed an unprecedented plan for Gaza, which would see all the residents of the Strip displaced so that the United States could control it and develop it into real estate. Under Trump’s plan, Egypt and Jordan in particular would be required to receive these Gazans.

But Egypt renewed on Monday, following a meeting between its Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aati and his American counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington, its adherence to "its position rejecting any infringement on the rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination, remaining on the land and independence."

Source: Agencies + Al Jazeera