'All hell to pay...': Trump gives final warning to Hamas
What's the story
United States President-elect Donald Trump has given a final warning to Palestinian militant group Hamas, demanding the release of all hostages in Gaza before his inauguration on January 20, 2025. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said failure to comply would mean "all hell to pay" in the Middle East. He also vowed that those responsible for these atrocities would face unprecedented repercussions from the US.
Ongoing conflict
Trump's warning amid conflict following deadly Hamas attack on Israel
This warning comes amid the conflict that followed Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left over 1,200 dead and over 250 hostages taken. Around 100 hostages remain in captivity, some confirmed dead. On the other hand, Israeli airstrikes have reportedly killed over 44,400 Palestinians and displaced nearly 90% of Gaza's population since.
Stalled negotiations
Hamas links hostage release to end of Israeli operations
Hamas has said that any possible release of hostages is dependent on an end to Israeli military operations and withdrawal from Gaza. The Biden administration has tried to mediate peace talks and brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, US officials say that Hamas continues to be unwilling to negotiate a broader peace deal, making matters more complicated.
Plea for negotiation
Hostage video urges Trump not to repeat Biden's mistakes
In a related development, Hamas released a video of Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American hostage held for over 420 days. In the video, Alexander urged Trump not to repeat what he described as Biden's mistakes and called for negotiations for their freedom. He criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for neglecting the hostages and appealed for public protests demanding their release.