WASHINGTON (TNND) — Hamas is threatening to kill the remaining hostages set to be exchanged in a negotiated ceasefire if Israel escalates the attacks against Gaza, a Hamas military spokesman said Thursday.

The message comes after President Donald Trump demanded Wednesday that Hamas release the hostages who have been held in captivity for nearly a year and a half.

He told Hamas "This is your last warning" as he called the terrorist group "sick and twisted" for keeping the bodies of hostages.

Abu Ubaida, the military spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a translated recorded message that "The enemy's leadership is trying to evade the agreement as the Prime Minister prioritizes political interests over the lives of his captives. The occupier continues to seek an American green light to escalate its aggression against our people."

"Israeli threats of war will bring them nothing but failure and will not lead to the release of their captives. We warn the families of Israeli captives that we still hold proof of life for those who remain alive. We are fully prepared for all possible scenarios. Any escalation of aggression against our people will result in the killing of enemy captives," he added.

On Wednesday, Trump met with eight released hostages in the Oval Office.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the hostages thanked Trump for his "steadfast efforts" to bring all of them home.

Hamas is believed to still have 24 living hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war, including Israeli-American Edan Alexander. It is also holding the bodies of 34 others who were either killed in the initial attack or in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 war.

Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, which ended on Saturday.

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Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.