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00:00Just as Donald Trump raises the ante with a Saturday deadline he's imposed for Hamas to hand over all remaining
00:06Israeli hostages just as he keeps up the pressure on Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians who
00:13Would be permanently shipped out of the Gaza Strip under Trump's idea the US president
00:19Welcoming the King of Jordan Abdullah to the White House at this hour
00:25Donald Trump's ultimatum
00:27Suggested by Israel's cabinet earlier, which convened behind closed doors to discuss whether to stick with the current
00:35Phase-one of the ceasefire deal with Hamas
00:38Delano D'Souza has more
00:43Fresh warning from the US president that puts an already fragile ceasefire in Gaza at risk
00:50Donald Trump says he wants all hostages held by Hamas released on Saturday
00:55Trump's latest statement flies in the face of the current truce agreed to between Israel and Hamas
01:01if all of the hostages aren't returned by
01:05Saturday at 12 o'clock. I think it's an appropriate time. I would say
01:11cancel it and all bets are off and
01:14Let hell break out
01:15I'd say they ought to be returned by 12 o'clock on Saturday
01:19All of them not in drips and drabs not two and one and three and four and two
01:25The latest statement from the US president comes a week after he floated the idea of the United States taking over the Gaza Strip
01:33While that proposal deemed outlandish has been rejected by Arab states
01:38Trump appears to be digging in his heels and now suggests
01:41Palestinians currently living in Gaza won't have the right to return once the enclave is rebuilt
01:49No, they wouldn't because they're gonna have much better housing much better
01:54In other words, I'm talking about building a permanent place for them because if they have to return now
01:59It'll be years before you could ever it's not habitable
02:02It will be years before it could happen. I'm talking about starting to build and I think I could make a deal with Jordan
02:08I think I could make a deal with Egypt
02:09Hamas says the latest threat from Donald Trump complicates the Gaza truce in place on
02:15Monday the militant group threatened to delay the next release of hostages slated for the weekend
02:20It came after Israel sent back a low-level delegation from talks in Doha aimed at expanding the ceasefire
02:27UN officials are calling on all sides to stick to the deal in place as
02:31Fears mount the conflict in the enclave could reignite once again
02:37For more let's cross to Washington and correspondent Fraser Jackson
02:42Fraser there's
02:45While the king of Jordan is at the White House behind you
02:50The Israeli Prime Minister who seems to be picking up the ball and running with it
02:56Saying if Hamas does not return hostages by Saturday noon
02:59The ceasefire will end and the military will return to intensive fighting. That's on top of
03:06Reports by the Associated Press of troop movements on the part of the Israelis
03:10Inside in and around Gaza the Israelis following Donald Trump and taking him at his word it seems
03:22Yeah, I think you can that press conference that we saw last week from Donald Trump when Netanyahu was here visiting the White House
03:28Really said it all the luck when Netanyahu's face
03:30He was had a he had a slight smirk and it was very clear to see that
03:34this is the kind of administration that has been wanting to deal with for the last year and a half and
03:39That is evidenced by some of the comments he made on Monday where he said that the meeting with Donald Trump was one of the
03:44Most productive and revealing that he's had with any US president
03:48so very clear that Netanyahu here is singing from Donald Trump's hymn sheets the kind of
03:54Move that we've seen from Donald Trump of hope wanting to redevelop the Gaza Strip and turn it into the Riviera of the Middle East
04:00Is the kind of thing that Netanyahu?
04:02Has been has been dreaming of really so definitely the kind of president that he wants is back in the Oval Office
04:09However, it is going to make things more difficult for the other members of the other countries in the region including Jordan and Egypt
04:16Donald Trump obviously here today with the king of Jordan to discuss this matter. Donald Trump has threatened to withhold aid
04:23He said that he would conceivably withhold aid from Jordan
04:27Should they not take in the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip?
04:31But of course that is a red line for many Arab nations, especially Jordan
04:36They have a very pro-palestinian
04:39Segment of their population around two or so million of the 11 million people in Jordan are either palestinian or of palestinian descent
04:47So at any movement to take the Palestinians out of Gaza and house them in Jordan
04:52Would then put the the monarchy in Jordan a very precarious
04:56Position and they are very very aware of that
04:59It could upset the apple cart in their own country and ultimately lead to some kind of coup
05:03That is what the what the Jordanian authorities are worried about. We're told from sources that the Jordanians
05:10Wanted this to be a quieter meeting with with the with the president. We're not seeing we're not seeing any press
05:18Press sprays before or after it. There's no press conference after this either
05:22The only thing currently open to the press today at the White House was the arrival that we saw a while ago of the king
05:29Of Jordan and his departure
05:31So it is a very very delicate situation as the Jordanians and the Egyptians especially try to navigate this
05:38I'm also told from sources that the Arab League will be having having a meeting on the 27th of February where the
05:44Aim is to create a unified position which will state that there will be no transfer of Palestinians that the ceasefire talks
05:52Will continue the negotiations will continue and that the two-state solution will be put forward as the only solution
05:58So there's a bit of a game of hardball here between
06:01Players in the region and the United States who wants to have its own way
06:05But of course some of those things that Donald Trump wants are red lines for their allies in the region and and Fraser
06:11what what are the reactions first off at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue on Capitol Hill and
06:17Throughout the United States when Donald Trump ups the ante like he did saying release all the hostages
06:23come Saturday
06:28Well, I think everybody in the United States wants the hostages to be released that's not really ever been in question
06:34It's been like that ever since the hostages were taken back in October
06:382023 but the way that things are being dealt with is a different story, of course the
06:45Democrats and the Republicans alike both say that Hamas is a terrorist organization that
06:50You know that they should not be being dealt with they should have it
06:53They're in no position to be putting forward demands
06:55But the question as to how this is is being done. It's really being raised the Republicans, of course
07:02Mostly support Donald Trump that have been some some voices that have questions his way of doing things
07:07I think a lot of people aren't really taking too seriously
07:10His calls to redevelop the Middle East a lot of people see that as a non-starter
07:14But that clearly is not getting through to the White House because Donald Trump has doubled down on that
07:19Multiple times as recently as the flights on Air Force One on Sunday
07:24And when we spoke to Donald Trump just as he met the king as he was going in
07:28We asked whether Hamas would would give in to Donald Trump's demands and he said yes, he thinks they will
07:35Fraser Jackson reporting live there from the White House. Many. Thanks for that update for more. Let's go to Rome and
07:41Jordanian geopolitics analyst Amir al-sabeli. Thank you for being with us here on France 24
07:50Thanks you my pleasure
07:52first off
07:54your your thoughts on what
07:57room to maneuver the king of Jordan has
08:00Right now sitting in the White House
08:03Well, you know, this is a long waiting moment and I think
08:06This is not an easy mission for the king. I think it's the first time we face
08:13Such situation going to the White House with a clear
08:17Idea that the American president has he already expressed what he has in mind. So I think the tough mission today is to
08:25Rationalize his vision and to offer something and I think for Jordan, you know, it's a bit different from any other country
08:32We are military allies
08:34There's a political ties very strong political ties
08:38So I think Jordan can can use now all its strategic cars when it when talking to President Trump
08:44Definitely. It's hard to say no to the president at this moment
08:47but I think Jordan can still try to explain its concerns fears from the implications that such that might
08:56Generate in Jordan and then on other side
08:58It can show how Jordan as a trusted ally to the u.s
09:02can play a major role also in the region together with Americans whether in Syria and Iraq or
09:09Whether from a kid an economy point of view when it comes to regional cooperation and big projects in the region, so I guess
09:17This is a chance also to get out
09:20And talk to the Americans not just with the problems of Gaza
09:24but the problems of the region as a package and here I think the Jordanian role might matter and
09:29The vision of Jordan might be listened to in a very different way. Okay
09:35Your your point is well taken if you look back to when Trump was first in office
09:41during his first term
09:44he would make big state bold statements and then he would
09:50Temper them according to whoever was in the room with him. Is that still the case though today has Donald Trump changed perhaps?
09:59When many things has changed even the Middle East has changed we cannot compare
10:04The Middle East at that time to the Middle East after the 7th of October
10:09This is for sure the second that we are dealing with the president who thinks that he has just four years left
10:14He's like has been in the office for a few weeks. He looks very strong. He wants to look decisive
10:20He wants to impose his vision. He wants to be because you heard you were sorry to interrupt
10:25You heard our correspondent say that some analysts and some players don't take too seriously
10:31His claim that he can redevelop the Gaza Strip
10:35Do you take him seriously when he makes big statements like this? I?
10:40Take him seriously at this moment because of the timing it's his first days in office, but I know that
10:46Practically speaking when it comes to solution, it's very complicated. There's a lot of complications ahead. It's not easy to solve
10:53It's not easy to make it that easy as a solution
10:56And that's why I said we need to rationalize his vision like at this moment
10:59We know that he he wants to show that he is the one who can bring solution
11:05We can impose solutions on everybody
11:07So I think by time he would realize that sometimes all what was said is really difficult to be done
11:14So I think the Jordanian role here is exactly this is to show the president the difficulties
11:20alive in this project and the implications that a country and a lie trusted a lie like Jordan has
11:28When it comes to this vision, so I guess I won't say I don't take him seriously
11:33I would take him seriously
11:34But at the same time I would like as well to advocate my case as Jordanian and show the risk that such vision
11:43will
11:44Will generate enjoy what would be the consequences domestically for Jordan if it took in more Palestinians?
11:50well, definitely there will be three implications security implication economics implications and
11:58political implications
12:00there is a
12:02clear impact of export exporting this
12:06Palestinian case to others like Jordan and its implications definitely will make will make
12:12A kind of change in the structure of the society would it threaten would it threaten the political structure of Jordan?
12:19Would it threaten the the country how it stands politically now with its king?
12:25Definitely definitely it will weaken the regime and it will show that the Jordanians the East bankers
12:32They will not be that happy of having more demographic increase
12:36And at the same time we know that this is a long term will change the political identity of the country itself
12:43Having more Palestinians more and more Palestinians and at the same time
12:49Even economically Jordan cannot afford such steps
12:52So from all levels, I don't think that it's that easy and it will never
12:58It will never
13:00Let Jordan pass this phase without really having this implications
13:05inside the country Prime Minister Netanyahu putting out a video statement in the last minutes saying that
13:12The ceasefire in Gaza would end if Hamas did not return hostages on Saturday
13:17He doesn't say all hostages, but he says hostages by Saturday noon
13:21Quote the military will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated your reaction
13:28Well, definitely it was from from day one the stages or the phases on which the agreement was built
13:34It showed that it is really fragile and weak on the second phase second
13:38I think what he's saying is really backed up by the president the American president who said that by Saturday at
13:4512 if this if all hostages were not released then things will change it means that
13:51Netanyahu today after his meeting with Trump is preparing himself for phase two of escalation that might start in Gaza
13:58But I don't think that it will be limited to Gaza. I think the whole region all the agreements from Lebanon to
14:05To Gaza were really weak and we might witness a new wave of escalation
14:11And we have Jordan's King
14:13Speaking now to reporters asked about taking in Palestinians saying we have to keep in mind
14:19How we do make this work that is in everyone's best interest
14:25Saying he'll take in 2,000 children who are ill
14:31trying to not
14:34Upset his host there as he stands in the White House
14:37addressing
14:39reporters
14:40Amer also Bailey. I want to thank you for being with us from Rome
14:43Thanks to you stay with us as much more to come here on France 24 more news plus the day's business and in sports