Florida: Hamas comes under a strong wire over U.S. hostages; US President–elect Donald Trump threatens severe consequences if Hamas does not release all hostages before his inauguration on 20 January.
Trump declared, speaking at a news conference from his Mar A Lago estate in Florida, ‘If the Israeli hostages are not back by the time I take office, all hell will break loose in the Middle East.’ He stressed that either such an outcome “will not be good for Hamas, and frankly, it will not be good for anybody”.
But Steven Charles Witkoff, Trump’s Special Envoy for the Middle East, recently returned from the region and expressed optimism about negotiations that are ongoing. Witkoff said he believed breakthrough was close. “He has stature; he is driving this negotiation; he put down red lines,” he said, crediting Trump’s progress.
A Hamas leader, speaking on condition of anonymity to Newsweek, meanwhile, called on Trump to get Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire agreement.
“If the Netanyahu government would stop hindering and obstructing the deal for trivial reasons, then we can conclude the deal immediately, as is now agreed upon by many political and military leaders among the Israelis,” the Hamas official said.
Incoming Trump officials have been kept up to date on developments, and the Biden administration has led the talks.
But Witkoff was optimistic based on talks he has had with administration officials, yet a senior Biden administration official warned that the talks are still tough.
While tensions continue to rise, everyone hopes it doesn’t go to the point that will force the question on whether Trump will approve it before his inauguration deadline.