Trump issues ultimatum to Hamas: 'All hell will break out if hostages are not released' before inauguration

President-elect Donald Trump launched a blunt warning to Hamas, reiterating that "all hell will break out" if the hostages still held captive in Gaza are not released before his inauguration, scheduled for Jan. 20.

On Tuesday, from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, Trump, accompanied by Steve Witkoff, appointed by him as special envoy for the Middle East, made it clear that he will not allow Hamas to continue to hold hostages. "If those hostages aren't back ... by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East," Trump warned. While he did not specify what actions his administration will take, he stressed that, for the time being, he does not intend to reveal further details. "I don't want to hurt your negotiation," he added.

The terrorist group is estimated to be holding captive 96 individuals, of whom only 50 are believed to still be alive, including three U.S. citizens.

Limited progress in negotiations

Steve Witkoff, who has been collaborating with the outgoing Biden administration, as well as with Egypt, Qatar, Israel and Hamas representatives, announced that he will travel to the Middle East once again to continue negotiations. While expressing optimism about the progress made, he acknowledged that the return of the hostages remains an elusive goal after more than 460 days in captivity since the October 7, 2023 attacks.

"I think that we've had some really great progress. And I'm really hopeful that by the inaugural, we'll have some good things to announce on behalf of the president. I actually believe that we're working in tandem in a really good way. But it's the president – his reputation, the things that he has said that are driving this negotiation and so, hopefully, it'll all work out and we'll save some lives," Witkoff stated.

Failure of previous negotiations

The Biden administration has spent more than a year trying to broker negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza. While the first agreement, reached weeks after the Oct. 7 attack, led to the release of dozens of hostages, subsequent efforts to end the fighting and secure the release of more captives have failed to achieve concrete results.