US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for Israel on Saturday, stating that the country must decide on its course of action after Hamas failed to meet the 12:00 PM deadline for releasing all hostages. Trump vowed that the United States would “back” Israel in whatever decision it made.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump acknowledged that Hamas had released three hostages, including a US citizen, and noted that they appeared to be in good condition. He emphasized Israel’s responsibility in determining its response to the missed deadline.
“Hamas has just released three Hostages from GAZA, including an American Citizen. They seem to be in good shape! This differs from their statement last week that they would not release any Hostages. Israel will now have to decide what they will do about the 12:00 O’CLOCK, TODAY, DEADLINE imposed on the release of ALL HOSTAGES. The United States will back the decision they make!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the safe return of three hostages—Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov, and Iair Horn—after 498 days in captivity. The three individuals were reunited with their families in Israel. Their release was part of the sixth hostage-prisoner exchange under the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
According to The Times of Israel, Sasha Troufanov, a 29-year-old Russian-Israeli citizen, was taken hostage alongside three family members during the October 7 Hamas attack. His father was killed, while his grandmother, mother, and girlfriend were released in November 2023.
US-Israeli citizen Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, was among the first to raise the alarm when Hamas militants entered Nir Oz. His last communication was at 9:30 AM (local time) on October 7, 2023.
Argentinian-Israeli citizen Iair Horn, 46, was kidnapped from his home during the attack on his kibbutz, where Hamas terrorists killed or abducted a quarter of the community’s residents.
Earlier this week, Trump had issued a warning, stating that if Hamas failed to release all hostages by the deadline, “all hell is going to break out.” Speaking on February 10 after signing executive orders, he said, “As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock… I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out.”
When asked what “all hell” would mean for Gaza, Trump responded, “You’ll find out, and they’ll find out—Hamas will find out what I mean,” according to CNN.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high as Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet its aid obligations under the ceasefire agreement, leading to a potential delay in further hostage releases. Israel has denied these accusations and warned of resuming military action if Hamas does not comply with the agreement.