Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a new warning to Hamas, which still holds 100 hostages in the Gaza Strip. Asked by CNN reporter Alayna Treene in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, about his previous statements promising “hell to pay” if the hostages were not released before he took office on January 20, Trump was categorically: “I'll put it this way: They'd better let the hostages come back quickly.”
The comments follow a post last month on his Truth Social platform, where he said: “Everyone is talking about the hostages being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire world in the Middle East – but these are only words, not deeds!” The president-elect then warned: “If the hostages are not released before January 20, 2025, the date I will proudly take office as President of the United States, there will be HELL TO PAY in the Middle East.”
Two weeks later, during a press conference, Trump indicated that his team was actively working on the file: “We are trying to help very strongly in obtaining the return of the hostages, as you know, with Israel and the Middle -Orient. We work a lot on this.”
Last month, the families of American hostages in Gaza met with Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser. They stressed the importance of close coordination between the Biden administration and the Trump team to obtain the immediate release of the hostages. Sullivan reaffirmed the administration's “unwavering commitment to working with President-elect Trump and his team to ensure the safe release of all hostages, emphasizing that this remains a crucial priority for President Biden.” He also informed the families of the ongoing negotiations, assuring that the administration would continue to devote maximum effort to resolving this crisis.
