Trump: They better let the hostages come back soon
US President-elect reiterates his warning to Hamas about returning all the hostages that it is holding in the Gaza Strip.
US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a warning to Hamas, who is still holding 100 hostages in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump was asked by CNN’s Alayna Treene about his past comments that there will be “hell to pay” if the hostages are not returned by the time he assumes office on January 20.
“Let me put it this way: They better let the hostages come back soon,” stated Trump.
Trump made the comments in question in a post on his Truth Social platform last month.
“Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East – But it’s all talk, and no action!” Trump wrote.
“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. 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!” he added.
Two weeks later, Trump said at a press briefing that he and his team are working to return the hostages being held in Gaza.
“We’re trying to help very strongly in getting the hostages back, as you know, with Israel and the Middle East. We’re working very much on that,” he stated at the time.
The families of American hostages in Gaza last month met with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and emphasized the need for close coordination between President Joe Biden and Trump’s team to secure the hostages’ release immediately.
Sullivan reaffirmed the administration’s steadfast commitment to working with President-elect Trump and his team to secure the safe release of all hostages, emphasizing that this remains a critical priority for President Biden. He updated the families on current negotiations and assured them that the administration would continue to dedicate maximum effort toward resolving this crisis.
