Trump meets Jordan's king in Washington, doubts Hamas will free hostages
'All bets are off' if Hamas doesn't release captives – Trump • Abdullah softens stance on relocation, stressing he will act in Jordan's best interest, but commits to taking in 2,000 sick Gazan kids
US President Donald Trump met Tuesday with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House, calling him "a great man."
The two discussed Trump's vision for the Gaza Strip and the ceasefire, which is at risk of disintegrating on Saturday after Hamas said it would postpone the hostage release. Trump said he does not believe Hamas will release all the captives by Saturday. He reiterated his statement from Monday, threatening that if Hamas does not fulfill its part of the deal, "all bets are off."
Trump previously called for all hostages to be released this weekend, although Israel will likely settle for the nine slated for release in the first phase of the ceasefire.
Trump said in his meeting with the king that he believes Jordan and Egypt will listen to him, allowing Gazans to relocate to their territory. "We give them a lot of money," he has pointed out, but he clarified that he did not want or feel the need to threaten them to do this.
Abdullah softened his country's stance in the meeting, saying he had faith that Trump can lead the Middle East on a path to peace and prosperity. On the relocation, he said that he would do what was best for his country. He also said, to Trump's apparent surprise, that Jordan would receive 2,000 sick children from Gaza.