In a post published minutes ago on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald J. Trump urged Hamas to continue returning the bodies of deceased hostages from the Gaza Strip, including two American citizens. The president emphasized that while some of the bodies are in difficult-to-reach areas, others could be returned immediately but are being withheld “for no good reason.”
“We have a very strong PEACE in the Middle East, and I believe it has a good chance of being EVERLASTING,” Trump wrote. “Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly, or the other countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action.”
Trump warned that failure to comply could trigger consequences from regional partners involved in the ceasefire framework, which he has previously described as the “Trump Peace Plan for Gaza.”
He added:
“Perhaps it has to do with their disarming, but when I said, ‘Both sides would be treated fairly,’ that only applies if they comply with their obligations. Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.”
The president’s remarks come amid the first phase of the Gaza peace deal, which includes the release of hostages, humanitarian aid expansion, and monitoring of Hamas’s disarmament process under U.S., Qatari, Egyptian, and Turkish supervision.
Sources in Washington told RAGE X Intelligence that the White House views the recovery of American bodies as a “critical test of Hamas’s sincerity” in upholding the terms of the agreement. The administration is reportedly coordinating closely with Qatar and Egypt to pressure Hamas into fulfilling its commitments.
While Trump praised what he called a “very strong peace in the Middle East,” his warning reflects growing impatience within the administration as Hamas delays returning the remains of foreign captives. Officials familiar with the talks say that the next 48 hours will determine whether the peace deal’s second phase can move forward smoothly — or if new punitive measures will be triggered against the group.
