Trump on what it will take to bring Israeli hostages home: Hamas must be 'confronted and destroyed'

President Donald Trump said Monday that the remaining Israeli hostages will only be returned once Hamas is "confronted and destroyed," as the Gaza-based terrorist group cited alleged progress in ongoing ceasefire talks. 

The U.S. and Israel pulled their negotiators from Qatar last month, with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff saying at the time that Hamas demonstrated a "lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza" and were likely not negotiating in good faith. 

"We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!!" Trump wrote on TRUTH Social on Monday morning. 

"The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be," Trump wrote. "Remember, I was the one who negotiated and got hundreds of hostages freed and released into Israel (and America!). I was the one who ended 6 wars, in just 6 months. I was the one...