US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Hamas will be in "big trouble" if they use Gaza hostages as human shields.
Trump spoke as Israel launched a large ground offensive against Gaza City, speaking to reporters as he left the White House for a state visit to Britain.
The comments echo Trump's Monday post to Truth Social, saying that he "hope[d] the Leaders of Hamas know what they’re getting into if they do such a thing."
"This is a human atrocity, the likes of which few people have ever seen before. Don’t let this happen or, ALL “BETS” ARE OFF. RELEASE ALL HOSTAGES NOW!"
Start of IDF invasion of Gaza City
On Tuesday morning, the IDF Arabic Spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee officially confirmed the military's invasion of Gaza City for the first time, though The Jerusalem Post had received off-record confirmation late Monday night.
In a post, the IDF said that all Gaza City residents must evacuate immediately as it has now officially become a dangerous combat zone.
Family members of the Gaza hostages, as well as former hostages Arbel Yehoud and Ilana Gritzwesky, arrived at the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem late Monday night to protest the start of the operation and raise awareness of the potential danger to the hostages.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.