December 4, 2024 | The Washington Post
Trump added pressure on Hamas to release the hostages. Good.
With luck, it will have an accelerating effect.
December 4, 2024 | The Washington Post
Trump added pressure on Hamas to release the hostages. Good.
With luck, it will have an accelerating effect.
Excerpt
President-elect Donald Trump on Monday demanded that the Hamas terrorist group immediately release the Israeli hostages it holds in Gaza, warning on his Truth Social platform that there would be “HELL TO PAY” if the hostages haven’t been freed before he takes office on Jan. 20.
The Biden administration has been working unsuccessfully for months to reach a ceasefire agreement and gain the hostages’ release. Trump’s threat that “Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America” arrived amid a fresh push for a ceasefire. Hamas representatives met with Egyptian security officials in recent days to discuss the matter, amid signs that the group has become more flexible in its demands.
Mark Dubowitz is chief executive of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.