President-elect Donald Trump held a press briefing at Mar-a-Lago in Florida today, just days away from his inauguration on January 20. During the session, he was questioned about the ongoing hostage crisis in Gaza, where 100 Israeli hostages are still being held by Hamas and other militant groups.
Trump warned that if the hostages were not released before his inauguration, the situation in the Middle East would drastically escalate. “If they’re (the hostages) not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East,” he stated, reiterating his earlier remarks about the potential fallout. “It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone,” he added. “All hell will break out. I don’t have to say anymore, but that’s what it is.”
He also expressed that the hostage crisis should have been resolved long ago, emphasizing that the attack on October 7 should never have occurred. “They should have given them back a long time ago, [and] they should have never taken them. There should have never been the attack on October 7th. People forget that. But there was, and many people are killed – they’re no longer hostages.”
Trump pointed out that some of the hostages are American citizens and shared how grieving parents had approached him, seeking his help in recovering their children’s bodies. “If the deal isn’t done before I take office, which is now gonna be two weeks, all hell will break out in the Middle East,” he declared.
In related updates, Trump invited his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to discuss the status of the hostage negotiations. Witkoff mentioned that there had been progress in the discussions and expressed optimism about reaching a resolution before the inauguration. “I’m really hopeful that by the inaugural we’ll have some good things to announce on behalf of the President,” Witkoff said, adding that he believes Hamas understands the severity of the situation and the potential consequences if the hostages are not freed by January 20.
{Matzav.com}