Trump issues ‘final warning’ to Hamas over Gaza hostages

US President Donald Trump on Sunday delivered what he described as his “last warning” to Hamas, urging the Palestinian terrorists group to agree to a deal for the release of hostages held in Gaza.

“The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!”

Meanwhile, the Israeli military reported that two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip on Sunday. The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the launch. According to the army, the projectiles crossed into Israeli territory near the town of Netivot, roughly 10 kilometres from Gaza, triggering air raid sirens but causing no injuries or damage.

“Two projectiles were identified crossing from the central Gaza Strip into Israeli territory,” the army said in a statement, adding that air raid sirens sounded in the area of Netivot, a town about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the Palestinian territory.

The military statement said “one projectile was intercepted, and one fell in an open area”.

The armed wing of Islamic Jihad, which has fought alongside Hamas in Gaza against Israeli forces, announced that it had targeted Netivot “with two rockets in response to the crimes committed by the Zionist enemy against our people”.

It was the first time in several months that launches from Gaza threatened Netivot, home to about 50,000 residents.

The launches came as Israel steps up its operations around Gaza City, the territory’s largest urban centre, which the army has said it intends to capture in a bid to defeat Hamas and return the hostages taken during the group’s October 7, 2023 attack.

With inputs from agencies