After ceasefire talks collapse, Trump says Hamas 'wants to die' while PM Netanyahu warns Israel considers alternatives to return hostages

The ceasefire and hostage deal talks between Hamas and Israel appear to have collapsed after the United States and Israel withdrew their negotiation teams from Qatar on Friday following Hamas’ latest response to the Israeli proposals.

While announcing the withdrawal, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington would now pursue “alternative options,” without elaborating, adding that Hamas’ response “clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”

In a short statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concurred: “Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal. Together with our U.S. allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas’s terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region.”

Speaking to reporters some hours later, U.S. President Donald Trump markedly hardened his tone toward Hamas, saying, “I think they want to die.”

“I said this was going to happen,” Trump continued, “We got a lot of hostages out. But when you get down to the last 10 or 20, I don’t think Hamas is going to make a deal because that means they have no protection. And basically that’s what happened.”

“I think what’s going to happen is they’re going to be hunted down,” Trump predicted. “It [has] gotten to a point where [Israel is] going to have to finish the job,” he concluded, adding that the current situation was “sort of disappointing.”

Over the past weeks, the ceasefire talks had advanced to a point where an agreement seemed imminent, particularly after Israel offered major concessions regarding the IDF’s withdrawal lines during the ceasefire.

However, Hamas first returned an offer that was deemed unacceptable even by Egypt and Qatar, who chose not to pass it on to the U.S. and Israel, before sending a second response, which led to the negotiations’ collapse.

“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,” Witkoff said in a statement.

“It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza,” he added.

Witkoff, President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu all hinted at alternatives to negotiations, without specifying what they would be.

In past statements, Trump stressed his preference for diplomatic solutions but also threatened to “open the gates of hell” if they failed.

Hamas later claimed to have been surprised by Witkoff’s “negative remarks,” arguing it showed responsibility and flexibility during the talks. The terror group added that it remained “keen to reach an agreement that ends the aggression and the suffering of our people in Gaza.”

Witkoff has previously pushed for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza to be implemented in five stages, in exchange for the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 others.

Meanwhile, Egypt and Qatar admitted that Hamas had once again demanded too many changes to the current proposal. However, speaking on condition of anonymity, an Arab diplomatic source told the Times of Israel on Friday that the gaps between the two sides were still bridgeable.

Egypt and Qatar also tried to downplay the U.S. and Israeli decisions to pull back their negotiation teams, claiming the decisions were made “to hold consultations before resuming dialogue.”

The two Arab states further argued that this was “normal in the context of these complex negotiations.”

Israeli media outlets speculated that Israel could now intensify attempts to rescue hostages through commando raids. In June 2024, during Operation Arnon, Israeli special forces rescued four hostages, including Noa Argamani, in a complex and daring rescue operation in a Hamas stronghold in central Gaza.

Following this successful rescue mission, Hamas reportedly ordered its operatives to execute hostages if they believed Israeli forces were approaching them.

On Saturday, Hamas sources told the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that the terror group heightened its security measures amid fears of additional American or Israeli attempts to rescue more hostages.