These comments are not new. But, as the date approaches, they take on a different significance. Tuesday, during a press conference organized the day after the certification of his presidential victory by Congress, Donald Trump assured that “all hell will break loose in the Middle East” if the hostages kidnapped in Israel on October 7 2023 are not released by his inauguration on January 20.
“It won’t be good for Hamas or, frankly, anyone. All hell will break loose. I don’t have to say more, but it is what it is,” warned the American president-elect. “We want to bring back his hostages, for Israel and for us,” insisted the Republican billionaire, who spoke from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
In addition to these virulent threats, Donald Trump did not specify what exactly he intended to do. He had already made similar comments in early December. Those responsible for the October 7 attack “will be hit harder than anyone has been in the long history of the United States,” he promised, without directly citing Hamas, but already mentioning “ hell as punishment.”
On Monday, Hamas revealed a list of 34 hostages it was ready to release in the first phase of the truce. According to Qatar, which plays the role of mediator between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement, discussions are continuing at a “technical” level.
Indirect negotiations resumed this weekend in the Qatari capital Doha. The latest round of negotiations ended last month without success, with both sides accusing each other of blocking them. After suspending its mediation in November, the rich gas emirate said in early December that it had noted “new momentum” for negotiations after the election of President Donald Trump in the United States.
