Israeli leaders on Tuesday welcomed US President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge that there would be “hell to pay” in the Middle East if hostages held in the Gaza Strip were not released. not released before his inauguration on January 20.
The reaction in Gaza was less enthusiastic.
In Truth Social, without naming any groups, Mr. Trump said the hostages must be released before he takes the oath of office.
If this demand were not met, he said: “Those responsible will be hit harder than anyone has ever been hit: “Those responsible will be hit harder than anyone in the long and storied history of the United States of America. America.
During their deadly 2023 attack on Israel, Hamas militants captured more than 250 people. Some have been released or released, but about half of them are still in Gaza, although at least a third of them are considered dead.
Israeli ministers lined up to thank Mr Trump for his powerful remarks.
“It is refreshing to hear clear, moral statements that do not create false equivalence and call for addressing both sides, but rather clarify who are the good guys and who are the bad guys,” said the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich.
“This is how we can bring the hostages back: by increasing the pressure and costs on Hamas and its supporters, and by defeating them, rather than by giving in to their absurd demands.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar simply said on X: “Thank you to President Trump.”
Likewise, the families of the missing hostages expressed their gratitude. “It is now clear to everyone that the time has come. We must bring them home NOW,” the families forum said.
NEGOTIATIONS ARE STEADLED
Israel and Hamas have held intermittent negotiations since October 2023, but after an initial release of hostages in November, little progress has been made, with both sides blaming each other.
In response to Mr. Trump’s message, senior Hamas official Basem Naim said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sabotaged all efforts to reach a deal to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in prisons. Israeli prisons.
“So we understand that (Mr Trump’s) message is first to Mr Netanyahu and his government to put an end to this evil game,” he told Reuters.
Ramiz Moghani, a Gaza political analyst, said Mr Trump’s threat was aimed at both Hamas and its backer Iran, and warned it would embolden Israel not only to expel Palestinians from large swaths of Gaza , but also to annex the neighboring West Bank, occupied by Israel.
“These statements have serious implications for the Israeli war in Gaza and the West Bank,” he told Reuters.
Mohammed Dahlan, like hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents, has had to flee his home because of the fighting and is desperately waiting for the war to end. But he said he was shocked by Mr. Trump’s decision.
“We were hoping that the new administration would bring a breakthrough…, but it seems that (Trump) is in complete agreement with the Israeli administration and that there are apparently more punitive measures to come,” he said. he declared.
