Trump threats may cause ceasefire deal collapse: Hamas

Hamas says US President Donald Trump's repeated threats against Palestinians constitute support for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to back out of the Gaza ceasefire and intensify the siege of Gazans.

Trump demanded in a social media post on Wednesday that Hamas "release all of the hostages now, not later," including the remains of dead hostages, "or it is OVER for you".

His threats came on the day that a Trump envoy held secret talks with Hamas, according to sources who spoke to Reuters, a move that signaled a departure from a decades-long US policy of not negotiating with the Islamist Palestinian faction, which Washington deems a terrorist organisation.

Egyptian security officials confirmed to Reuters on Thursday that talks between the Trump envoy and Hamas had taken place, and were also attended by Egyptian and Qatari mediators.

"Trump's repeated threats against our people represent support to Netanyahu to evade the agreement and tightens the siege and starvation against our people," Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said in a text message to Reuters.

"The best track to release the remaining Israeli prisoners is by... going into the second phase and compelling it (Israel) to adhere to the agreement signed under the sponsorship of mediators,."

The Gaza ceasefire deal which came into effect in January calls for the remaining hostages to be freed in a second phase, during which final plans would be negotiated for an end to the war.

The first phase of the ceasefire ended on Saturday, and Israel has since imposed a total blockade on all goods entering Gaza, demanding that Hamas release remaining hostages without beginning the negotiations to end the war.

Palestinians say the blockade could lead to starvation among the 2.3 million people living in Gaza's ruins.

Trump made his new threats after a White House meeting on Wednesday with a group of hostages who had been released in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

"I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don't do as I say," he said in his social media post.

"Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!"

Gazans criticised Trump's latest remarks on Thursday, which followed his call for Palestinian residents of the tiny coastal enclave to be resettled elsewhere and for the territory to be developed as a "Middle East Riviera".

"(Trump's) work (should be) more to spread peace... by exchanging hostages between the two parties, and not to throw around threats, blame and intimidation at the people of the Gaza Strip, who are suffering... as a result of this war," said Ahmed, a resident of Khan Younis in the Palestinian enclave.

The United States broke a longstanding diplomatic taboo by holding secret talks with Hamas on securing the release of US hostages held in Gaza, sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

US hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler has the authority to talk directly with Hamas, the White House said when asked about the discussions.

Boehler and Hamas officials met in Doha in recent weeks, two sources briefed on the negotiations said. It was not clear who represented Hamas.

The two Egyptian security officials who spoke to Reuters said Hamas had insisted during the talks on sticking to the original phased ceasefire agreement.

The sides agreed the ceasefire should be maintained to give time to mediators to hammer out disagreements between Hamas and Israel, which said it desired to extend the 42-day first phase of the deal. Hamas has rejected Israel's demand.

Egypt, according to the two Egyptian sources, stressed the need to uphold the ceasefire agreement till the end of the war, saying this would facilitate implementation of a Cairo reconstruction plan for Gaza that was endorsed by Arab leaders at a summit on Tuesday.

The Egyptian sources said talks ended in a positive sprit, indicating the sides may soon move towards negotiating the second phase of the deal.