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As I’ve suggested in the past, words without demonstrable actions are worse than no words at all. This simple truism particularly applies to promises, apologies, threats, and ultimatums.
This takes us to President Donald Trump and Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
According to Fox, Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua said the “best path to free the remaining Israeli hostages” is through negotiations on a second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
The first phase of the ceasefire, which lasted 42 days, ended on Saturday. A second phase was supposed to begin in early February, though only limited preparatory talks have been held so far.
Hamas’ response came after Trump met with eight former hostages in the Oval Office and posted what he called a on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday (emphasis, mine).
DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A textbook example of an ultimatum.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 5, 2025
terrorists brutally killed roughly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during its horrific October 7, 2023 attack inside Israel, taking a total of 251 people hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.
So, as I asked in the headline, now what?
Again, threats and ultimatums without follow-up actions are worse than no threats at all — whether they’re made to children, adults, or murderous terrorist organizations. If a parent tells a misbehaving child that he or she will be sent to his or her room if he or she doesn’t stop doing “whatever” and doesn’t follow through when the child refuses to stop, what does that tell the child?
Likewise, when threats and ultimatums are blown off by radical Islamist terrorist groups, a lack of follow-through only emboldens them, does it not?
So what should Trump and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu do now? Great question — for which there are no easy answers.
But I do know this: Hamas will become even more intransigent if it doesn’t face consequences for dismissing Trump’s warning.
