Trump gives Hamas ultimatum amid threats to delay hostage release

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

“Saturday at 12:00, and if they’re not if they’re not here, all hell is going to break out.” 

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ISSUING A VAGUE BUT THINLY-VEILED warning TO HAMAS — AFTER THE TERROR GROUP ANNOUNCED IT WOULD DELAY THE RELEASE OF THE REMAINING ISRAELI HOSTAGES IN THE GAZA STRIP,  PUTTING THE TENUOUS CEASEFIRE DEAL, IN DANGER OF COLLAPSING. 

HAMAS SAYS IT WILL **NOT** RELEASE THE HOSTAGES, THAT WERE SCHEDULED TO BE FREED THIS SATURDAY, UNDER THE TERMS OF THE CURRENT CEASEFIRE DEAL “UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE” — CLAIMING ISRAEL ALREADY VIOLATED THE  AGREEMENT. 

IN A POST ON X — A  SPOKESPERSON FOR THE TERROR GROUP SAID ISRAEL HAS DELAYED ALLOWING DISPLACED PALESTINIANS TO RETURN TO THE GAZA STRIP AND DENIED HUMANITARIAN RELIEF TO THE  ENCLAVE, THAT HAS BEEN RAVAGED BY MORE THAN 15 MONTHS OF WAR.

IN A FOLLOW-UP POST, HAMAS CLARIFIED THIS WEEKEND’S HOSTAGE EXCHANGE,  WHICH WOULD SEE THREE MORE ISRAELI HOSTAGES LET-GO, IN EXCHANGE FOR HUNDREDS OF PALESTINIAN PRISONERS,  WOULD STILL GO THROUGH IF ISRAEL QUOTE “FULFILLS ITS OBLIGATIONS.” 

RELATIVES OF SOME OF THE HOSTAGES GATHERED IN TEL AVIV AFTER THE DELAY WAS ANNOUNCED — ACCUSING ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU OF PURPOSELY SABOTAGING THE SIX-WEEK CEASEFIRE DEAL. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP IS GOING TO BAT FOR THE KEY U-S ALLY.  YOU WILL RECALL TRUMP AND NETANYAHU MET at THE WHITE HOUSE LAST WEEK.  PRESIDENT TRUMP NOW  SAYING IF HAMAS DOES NOT RETURN,  NOT JUST THE HOSTAGES SET TO BE RELEASED **THIS SATURDAY** BUT **ALL** HOSTAGES STILL BEING HELD IN GAZA — QUOTE “ALL BETS ARE OFF AND LET HELL BREAK OUT.” 

REPORTER 

“Mr. President, when you say all hell is going to break loose, are you speaking about retaliation?” 

PRESIDENT DONADL TRUMP 

“You’ll find out and they’ll find out, too. Hamas will find out what i mean. You’re going to find out what I mean. These are sick people and they’ll find out what I mean. Saturday at 12.” 

TRUMP DID ADD IT’S ULTIMATELY ISRAEL’S DECISION WHAT HAPPENS IF THE HOSTAGES ARE NOT RETURNED THIS SATURDAY, SAYING ISRAEL CAN “OVERRIDE” HIS ULTIMATUM. 

WHAT HAPPENS THIS WEEKEND COULD RESTART THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS. 

AS OF NOW, THE WAR MIGHT RESUME IN EARLY MARCH — IF NO AGREEMENT IS REACHED ON THE MORE COMPLICATED SECOND PHASE OF THE CEASEFIRE. IT CALLS FOR THE RETURN OF **ALL** REMAINING HOSTAGES **AND** AN INDEFINITE EXTENSION OF THE TRUCE.

MEANWHILE, TODAY — PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SET TO MEET WITH JORDAN’S KING ABDULLAH THE SECOND, LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER THREATENING TO REVOKE AID TO JORDAN AND EGYPT IF THEY REFUSE HIS DEMAND TO PERMANENTLY TAKE IN MOST PALESTINIAN REFUGEES FROM GAZA. 

THE U-S PROVIDES BOTH COUNTRIES WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF MILITARY AND ECONOMIC AID EVERY YEAR. 

TRUMP RECEIVED IMMEDIATE PUSHBACK FROM THE TWO ALLIES AFTER FLOATING THE IDEA LAST WEEK — AS HE ANNOUNCED HIS HOPES THE U-S COULD ULTIMATELY TAKE OVER THE GAZA STRIP, SOMEWHAT LIKE A REAL ESTATE VENTURE… AND RE-DEVELOP IT INTO THE “RIVIERA OF THE MIDDLE EAST.” 

HE DOUBLED DOWN ON THAT PLAN YESTERDAY — SAYING PALESTINIANS WOULD **NOT** BE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO THE GAZA STRIP AS PART OF HIS PLAN FOR THE UNITED STATES TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE WAR-TORN 25-MILE TERRITORY. 

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH FOX NEWS HOST BRET BAIER THAT AIRED ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY,  TRUMP REITERATED HE BELIEVES A DEAL COULD BE REACHED WITH EGYPT AND JORDAN TO PERMANENTLY TAKE IN DISPLACED PALESTINIANS.

THIS MORNING ONE PERSON DEAD AND OTHERS ARE INJURED AFTER A PLANE CRASH ON THE TARMAC AT THE SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA AIRPORT LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON.  

THE CITY OF SCOTTSDALE SENT OUT A STATEMENT SAYING, THE LEARJET’S MAIN LANDING GEAR FAILED AS THE PLANE WAS LANDING.  IT WAS COMING IN FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS WITH FOUR PEOPLE ON BOARD.  

THE LEARJET, SKIDDED OFF THE RUNWAY AND CRASHED INTO A GULFSTREAM JET THAT WAS PARKED IN A NEARBY RAMP AND HAD ONE PERSON ON-BOARD.  

TMZ IS REPORTING THAT THE LEARJET IS OWNED BY MOTLEY CRUE LEAD SINGER VINCE NEIL.   HE WAS ON NOT ON BOARD BUT HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS AND SHE WAS INJURED. THIS MORNING SHE IS IN THE HOSPITAL AND REPORTEDLY HAD SEVERAL BROKEN RIBS.  

SO FAR NO IDENTIFICATION THE PERSON WHO DIED, HOWEVER, JET PROS WHICH OWNS THE GULFSTREAM, RELEASED A STATEMENT CONFIRMING THERE WERE NO INJURIES ON ITS AIRCRAFT.  

THE COLLISION ON RUNWAY,  COMES LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER THE DEADLY CRASH OF A MEDICAL FLIGHT IN PHILADELPHIA AND THE AMERICAN AIRLINES, BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER MID-AIR COLLISION NEAR REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT, BOTH AT THE END OF JANUARY.    MORE THAN 70 PEOPLE DIED AS A RESULT OF THOSE CRASHES.

THIS MORNING — EUROPEAN UNION CHIEF URSULA VON DER LEYEN VOWED U-S TARIFFS ON STEEL AND ALUMINUM  “WILL NOT GO UNANSWERED.” 

IN A STATEMENT — SHE SAID  “THE E-U WILL ACT TO SAFEGUARD ITS ECONOMIC INTERESTS” — ADDING THE UNITED STATES CAN EXPECT TOUGH COUNTERMEASURES FROM THE 27-NATION GROUP. 

YESTERDAY — PRESIDENT TRUMP LEVIED 25 PERCENT TARIFFS ON **ALL** IMPORTS OF STEEL AND ALUMINUM TO THE UNITED STATES. THEY ARE SET TO TAKE EFFECT MARCH 4-TH. 

DIPLOMATS SAY EUROPEAN UNION TRADE MINISTERS WILL HOLD AN UNSCHEDULED VIDEO CONFERENCE TOMORROW TO DISCUSS THE ORGANIZATION’S RESPONSE TO IMPENDING TARIFFS.

A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS EXTENDED THE PAUSE on THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN TO OFFER A “DEFERRED RESIGNATION” BUYOUT TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES — UNTIL HE RESPONDS TO QUOTE ‘THE ISSUES PRESENTED.” 

INITIALLY — U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE GEORGE O’TOOLE JR. TEMPORARILY HALTED THE ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN UNTIL Monday. BUT AFTER A HEARING YESTERDAY — HE SAID THE DELAY WOULD CONTINUE UNTIL HE RULES ON A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION. 

THREE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE UNIONS — WITH THE SUPPORT OF 20 DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL — FILED A LAWSUIT ARGUING THE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT’S DEFERRED RESIGNATION OFFER IS AN “UNLAWFUL ULTIMATUM” TO FORCE THE RESIGNATION OF GOVERNMENT WORKERS UNDER THE “THREAT OF MASS TERMINATION.” 

DURING YESTERDAY’S HEARING, A D-O-J LAWYER FRAMED THE OFFER AS A QUOTE “HUMANE OFF-RAMP” FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES BEFORE PRESIDENT TRUMP ENACTS SWEEPING CHANGES TO “RE-BALANCE AND REORGANIZE THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE.” 

BEFORE THE PAUSE, DEFERRED RESIGNATION OFFERED FULL PAY AND BENEFITS UNTIL SEPTEMBER FOR ANY FEDERAL EMPLOYEE WHO ACCEPTED BY FEBRUARY 6-TH — WITH NO OBLIGATION TO WORK AFTER THEY ACCEPTED THE AGREEMENT.   THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MADE THE MOVE IN AN EFFORT TO GET FEDERAL WORKERS, WHO ARE WORKING REMOTELY FROM HOME, TO GO BACK TO THE OFFICE.

A POSSIBLE BUSINESS DEAL, A FEUD BETWEEN TWO BILLIONAIRES AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ALL WRAPPED UP INTO ONE.  

A GROUP OF INVESTORS, LED BY ELON MUSK, IS OFFERING ABOUT  $97-AND-A-HALF BILLION DOLLARS TO BUY THE NON-PROFIT THAT IS BEHIND OPEN AI, A COMPANY THAT MUSK ACTUALLY HELPED GET OFF THE GROUND A DECADE AGO.  

MUSK AND HIS AI START-UP CALLED, XAI,  ALONG WITH A GROUP OF INVESTMENT FIRMS, WANT TO TAKE CONTROL OF OPEN AI, THE COMPANY BEHIND CHATGPT. 

THE SUCCESS OF CHATGPT HAS LED TO A BIG REVENUE STREAM FOR OPEN AI.  LAST YEAR, IT ANNOUNCED PLANS TO CHANGE ITS CORPORATE STRUCTURE.  THE MATTER IS NOW  IN FEDERAL COURT IN CALIFORNIA. 

MUSK’S LAWYER SAYS THE GROUP OF BUYERS WANT OPENAI TO GO BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL CHARITABLE MISSION.  

HOWEVER, OPENAI CEO SAM ALTMAN QUICKLY REJECTED MUSK’S OFFER, SAYING ON X,  “NO THANK YOU BUT WE WILL BUY TWITTER FOR 9.74 BILLION DOLLARS IF YOU WANT.” 

MUSK, BOUGHT TWITTER, NOW CALLED X, IN 2022.  

ELON MUSK AND SAM ALTMAN ACTUALLY STARTED OPENAI TOGETHER IN 2015, BUT A POWER STRUGGLE HAS LED TO A FEUD BETWEEN THE TWO AND MUSK LEFT IN 2018.

FINALLY THIS MORNING — SUPER BOWL 59 WASN’T JUST A BIG WIN FOR THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. 

A RECORD 126 MILLION PEOPLE TUNED INTO THE BIG GAME THIS YEAR — ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY NUMBERS, WHICH SAW A BIG BOOST THANKS TO STREAMING SERVICES. 

THIS MARKS THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR THE SUPER BOWL SET A VIEWERSHIP RECORD. 

ACCORDING TO FOX SPORTS — ITS BROADCAST OF THE GAME AVERAGED 111 POINT 5 MILLION VIEWERS… WHILE ITS FREE STREAMING SERVICE — TUBI — DREW 13 POINT 6 MILLION VIEWERS. 

ANOTHER 800-THOUSAND WATCHED ON N-F-L DIGITAL PLATFORMS. 

THE SUPER BOWL VIEWING RECORD COMES AFTER THE REGULAR SEASON ACTUALLY SAW A TWO PERCENT DROP IN VIEWERSHIP, ON AVERAGE. 

HOWEVER, VIEWERSHIP DID GROW ON N-B-C AND AMAZON PRIME VIDEO — THE HOME TO THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL — PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUNGER AUDIENCES.