Bruce Pearl of Auburn criticizes Hamas after the release of 3 Israeli hostages.

Hamas terrorists standing on Red Cross vehicle during hostage exchange sparks Pearl's reaction.

Bruce Pearl of Auburn criticizes Hamas after the release of 3 Israeli hostages.
Bruce Pearl of Auburn criticizes Hamas after the release of 3 Israeli hostages.

On Sunday, Bruce Pearl, the men's basketball coach of Auburn Tigers, posted a furious message on social media about a video that depicted Hamas terrorists surrendering three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross.

The video depicted the hostages being transported between vehicles amidst a throng of Hamas militants brandishing weapons and shouting "Allah Akbar." The gunmen subsequently positioned themselves on top of the vehicle.

Bruce Pearl vs Georgia
Bruce Pearl (Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)

Pearl didn’t appear pleased.

"This is what giving Palestinians autonomy looks like. Do 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 has been among the most vocal sports figures in supporting Israel.

On Saturday morning, Israel's Cabinet approved a cease-fire agreement in Gaza, which would involve the release of numerous hostages and a temporary halt to the conflict with Hamas, which began following the terror group's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Former hostage British-Israeli Emily Damari and her mother Mandy hold a video call with Emily's brother Tom Damari
Former hostage British-Israeli Emily Damari and her mother, Mandy, hold a video call with Emily's brother, Tom Damari, and other loved ones on the day Emily was released from captivity in a hostage-prisoner deal between Hamas and Israel on Jan. 19, 2025.

Over the next six weeks, 33 hostages will be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, with the remaining hostages to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first.

On the first day of the deal, Hamas agreed to release three female hostages. Four more hostages were freed on the seventh day, and the remaining 26 were released over the next five weeks.

Hamas will not release the remaining hostages unless there is a permanent cease-fire and a complete Israeli withdrawal.

A Palestinian fighter from the armed wing of Hamas takes part in a military parade
A terrorist from Hamas takes part in a military parade. (Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/File)

The 15-month war in Gaza began with a surprise attack by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of about 250 others. This attack prompted Israeli forces to respond militarily, and nearly 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza to this day.

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by Ryan Gaydos

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