Hamas will find out what I mean: Trump on what all hell break loose means

New Delhi: President Donald Trump on Monday said a precarious ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas should be cancelled if Hamas doesn't release all the remaining hostages it is holding in Gaza by midday on Saturday.

In comments to reporters as he signed a series of executive orders, Trump said it was ultimately up to Israel. But he warned that “all hell is going to break out” if the remaining hostages aren't released, and added that he feared many were dead.

Trump also said, however, “I'm speaking for myself. Israel can override it.”

Trump reiterated that all hell would break loose if ALL hostages by Saturday.

When asked what all hell break loose’ means, Trump said 'Hamas will find out what I mean'.

A Hamas spokesperson said Monday that the group will delay the next hostage release after accusing Israel of violating ceasefire agreement.

An Israeli official said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was consulting security officials after Hamas announced Monday that it would delay the next release of hostages. 

The Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Netanyahu also pushed forward a scheduled meeting of his Security Cabinet to Tuesday morning from later in the day.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hamas' plan to delay the next release of hostages was “a complete violation” of the ceasefire agreement and that he instructed the Israeli military to be on the highest level of alert.

Netanyahu's coordinator for hostages said all of the hostage families have been updated.

Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas' military wing, on Monday accused Israel of systematically violating the ceasefire agreement.

Earlier on Monday, a senior Hamas official blasted President Donald Trump's latest remarks about the US ownership of Gaza, as “absurd.”

Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas' political bureau, said the comments “reflect a deep ignorance of Palestine and the region.”

He said Trump's approach toward the Palestinian cause will fail.

He was responding to Trump’s remarks saying Palestinians in Gaza would not have a right to return under his plan for US “ownership” of the war-torn territory, contradicting other officials in his administration who've sought to argue Trump was only calling for the temporary relocation of its population.