Donald Trump demands immediate release of Israeli hostages, else there will be 'hell to pay'
The Hindu
Trump demands release of Israeli hostages in Gaza before second term, threatening dire consequences if not freed.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is demanding the immediate release of Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, saying that if they are not freed before he is sworn into office for a second term there will be “hell to pay”.
“Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity,” Mr. Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social site.
He added that, "Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!”
It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Trump was threatening to directly involve the U.S. military in Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Mr. Trump’s allies have said he hopes there will be a ceasefire and hostage release deal before he returns to office early next year.
ALSO READ: A West Asia under Donald Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined comment. But the country's president, Isaac Herzog, welcomed Mr. Trump's comments in a social media post.
"Thank you and bless you Mr. President-elect @realDonaldTrump," he wrote on X. "We all pray for the moment we see our sisters and brothers back home!"
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