President Donald Trump expressed frustration over the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, stating that he was losing patience after seeing footage of Israeli hostages released over the weekend, whom he compared to Holocaust survivors.
Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, Trump reacted to the frail appearance of the three hostages freed on Saturday. “They look like Holocaust survivors. They were in horrible condition. They were emaciated,” he told reporters. “I don’t know how much longer we can take that ... at some point we’re going to lose our patience.”
Trump acknowledged the ongoing deal but criticized its slow progress: “I know we have a deal ... they dribble in and keep dribbling in ... but they are in really bad shape.”
The three released hostages - Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy – were taken captive during Hamas' attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. They were freed on Saturday, appearing in significantly worse condition than previous hostages released under the truce agreed on January 15. In exchange, Israel freed 183 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the condition of the hostages shocking, vowing to address the matter.
Trump also reaffirmed his commitment to U.S. ownership of Gaza following Palestinian removal, an idea he proposed on February 4 during Netanyahu's visit to Washington. He suggested that other Middle Eastern nations could help rebuild parts of Gaza under U.S. oversight.
“As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it, other people may do it, through our auspices. But we’re committed to owning it, taking it, and making sure that Hamas doesn’t move back.”
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