"As you know, they (Israel and Hamas) had a routine conversation the other day, and then all of a sudden they got tough. They (Hamas) don't want them (the prisoners) back," Trump told reporters during a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during his visit to Scotland.
"So Israel will have to make a decision. I know what I'm going to do, but I don't think it's appropriate to say that. Israel will have to make a decision," he added.
The US president declined to directly respond to a question about whether Israel should do more to allow food into Gaza, noting that the United States had provided $60 million in aid to secure food supplies for Gaza two weeks ago, "but no one talked about it or thanked us."
Regarding the Israeli prisoners in Gaza, Trump noted that their families are awaiting the return of the bodies of the dead, and that he met with some of these families and listened to their concerns.
Trump's remarks come amid uncertainty surrounding the fate of the negotiations, following Israel and the United States' announcement that they were withdrawing their delegations from the Qatari capital, Doha. They also accused Hamas of "not wanting" to reach a deal, a charge the movement denied, affirming its commitment to "complete the negotiations."
Earlier on Sunday, the World Health Organization warned that malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip amid a sharp rise in deaths in July, while the Israeli machine continues to use hunger as a weapon against civilians.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll from famine and malnutrition has risen to 133, including 87 children. Israel has continued to close the crossings to aid since March 2, amid warnings of a mass death toll threatening more than 100,000 children.
