Auburn's Bruce Pearl slams Hamas terrorists after 3 Israeli hostages are released
2025-01-20
Category: world

Auburn Tigers men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl sent a fiery message on social media on Sunday in response to a video that apparently showed Hamas terrorists handing over three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross. The video showed the hostages moving from one vehicle to the next in between a large crowd of Hamas militants holding guns and chanting "Allah Akbar." The gunmen then stood on top of the vehicle. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM  Pearl didn’t appear pleased. "This is what giving Palestinians Autonomy looks like. Does it look like they want peace?" he wrote on X. "They made war, murdered and raped, built tunnels and hid under their people, launched rockets from living rooms, then screamed genocide. RELEASE HOSTAGES NOW, then live in peace or leave town." Pearl is not one to shy away from his support for Israel. He has been among the most outspoken sports figures about the issue. Israel’s Cabinet approved a deal early Saturday morning for a cease-fire in Gaza that would include the release of dozens of hostages and pause the war with Hamas that began after the terror group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the Jewish state.  BITTERSWEET REJOICING AS FIRST HOSTAGES RETURN TO ISRAEL AFTER 471 DAYS IN CAPTIVITY The deal would allow 33 hostages to be set free over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remaining hostages are set to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas agreed to release three female hostages on the first day of the deal, four on the seventh day and the remaining 26 over the next five weeks. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining hostages without a lasting cease-fire and a full Israeli withdrawal.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The 15-month war in Gaza started when Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which roughly 1,200 people were killed and about 250 others were abducted, prompting military retaliation from Israeli forces. Nearly 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza. Follow Fox News Digital’s&nbsp;sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.