Trump: It’s up to Israel to deal with Hamas on releasing Israeli prisoners from Gaza but after consulting with me

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday evening that it’s up to Israel to decide whether to deal with Hamas, but after consulting with me.

Trump told reporters, commenting on the release of the Israeli prisoners from the Gaza Strip, that “the good news is that they (the prisoners) are in very good condition”.

On Saturday, the Palestinian factions in Gaza handed over 3 Israeli prisoners, one of whom holds US citizenship and the other Russian, to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which in turn transferred them to the Israeli army as part of the sixth batch of the deal.

In return, Israel released 369 prisoners, including 333 from Gaza, who were arrested after October 7, 2023, in addition to 36 prisoners serving life sentences.

Regarding his statement a few days ago about his call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do whatever he wanted in Gaza, he explained that this was due to Hamas’s threat that it would not hand over the last batch of prisoners under the agreement, which is why he made that statement.

He added that Hamas had ultimately committed to releasing the Israeli prisoners, who he said appeared to be in very good condition.

He went on to say, “The decision on the next step (regarding Hamas) will be for Israel in consultation with me”.

Hamas announced a freeze on the release of Israeli prisoners last week, in protest against Israel’s violation of the humanitarian protocol of the agreement, which included continuing military operations in the Gaza Strip, delaying the return of displaced persons, preventing the entry of 400 caravans (prefabricated houses) for shelter, in addition to obstructing the entry of medical and food aid.

The ceasefire agreement began to be implemented on January 19, 2025, and includes three phases, each lasting 42 days, with each phase to be negotiated separately before the next one begins.

Egypt and Qatar are conducting intensive mediation to save the agreement, in light of the continued Israeli violations and logistical gaps that have prevented the full implementation of the provisions of the first phase.