US President-elect Donald Trump gestures as he delivers remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, US, January 7, 2025.
Carlos Barea | Reuters
President-elect Donald Trump He warned Tuesday that “all hell will break loose in the Middle East” if Hamas does not release the hostages it is holding in Gaza by the time of his inauguration on January 20.
“It wouldn't be good for Hamas and it wouldn't be good, frankly, for anyone,” Trump said at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
“We want these hostages back for Israel and for us,” Trump said.
“You know, we have people being held hostage, and I'll say it again, if this deal isn't made with the people who represent our nation, by the time I take office, all hell will break loose,” he said. “It will erupt.”
Trump did not specify what action he would take if the hostages were not released.
It is believed that approximately 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza, and some of these people are presumed dead.
Hamas on Monday released a list of the names of 34 hostages that the movement said it was ready to release in the first phase of a potential ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Trump reissued his warning as Steve Witkoff, his designated Middle East envoy, told reporters that there was “a lot of progress” in negotiations in Doha, Qatar, to reach the release of hostages taken during the terrorist group's deadly attack in October. /October. 7, 2023, incursion into Israel.
“I think we were about to,” Witkoff said, after Trump spotted him at the back of the room and invited him to the podium to speak.
Witkopf said he expected to return to Doha on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.
It was not clear what role Witkoff was playing in any talks, given that Trump will not take office for another two weeks, and Witkoff is not an official representative of the US government.
Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas said it was sticking by its demand that Israel completely end its military operations against Gaza as part of any deal to release the hostages.
Israel, in turn, says that the war will continue until the hostages are released and Hamas is dismantled, according to what the Haaretz newspaper reported. Reuters News service.
“I don't want to say much” about the status of the talks in Doha, Witkoff said.
But he added, “I really hope that by the inauguration we will have some really good things to announce on behalf of the president.”
He credited Trump's “reputation and the things he said” with “advancing the negotiations.”
“I think they heard it loud and clear, and they ended the inauguration,” Witkoff said.
“I hope everything works out and we save some lives,” he added.
