US President-elect Donald Trump said Monday that he is actively working to secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. “We are trying very hard to help bring the hostages home,” Trump said during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump also confirmed that he had an “update call” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend, but did not go into detail. “We had a very positive conversation, we discussed what will happen and I will be fully available from January 20th. We’ll see,” he said. The President-elect added that if the hostages are not released by the day he takes office, “all hell will break loose.”
According to Israeli and Arab sources cited by Times of Israelthe negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt have reported significant progress in recent days, although obstacles remain to be overcome. The aim is to secure the initial release of the most vulnerable hostages, including women, the elderly and the sick, in exchange for a six-week ceasefire.
Netanyahu, in an official statement, reiterated his commitment to “maximizing the number of live hostages who will be freed under any possible agreement framework”. The Israeli prime minister on Monday met with Adam Boehler, the Trump-appointed special envoy for hostage affairs, along with senior Israeli officials. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel was “closer to an agreement to release the hostages than last time.” During a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Katz stressed that Hamas has shown new flexibility. “It’s a moral issue and the most important mission before us,” he said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Turkey to pressure Hamas to accept a deal. Spokesman Matthew Miller stressed that discussions were close to a conclusion, but warned that similar negotiations in the past had collapsed at the last moment. Trump also sent his envoys Steve Witkoff and Massad Boulos to the region for meetings with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. In parallel, an Israeli delegation is currently in Doha to continue negotiations.
The main obstacle remains the duration of the ceasefire. Israel insists it has the right to resume military operations after the first phase of the deal, while Hamas demands a permanent withdrawal of Israeli forces. According to negotiators, the agreement could be concluded by Chanukkah, but implementation would take a longer period. The families of the hostages expressed hope and concern during a demonstration at the Israeli parliament. Hadassah Lazar, sister of Shlomo Mansour, a prisoner in Gaza, said: “I hope and believe that there will be a Chanukkah miracle. We demand that all hostages return together in one accord, leaving no one behind.”
