Following the announcement that a hostage deal has been finally reached between Israel and Hamas, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was quick to respond. In a post on his social media platform, “Truth Social,” Trump stated: “We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. The hostages will be released soon. Thank you!” Trump is set to re-take office at the White House on January 20th.
Trump then continued to elaborate on the issue: “I am thrilled that American and Israeli hostages will soon return home to reunite with their families and loved ones. With this deal, through the efforts of our Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, my national security team will continue working closely with Israel and our allies to ensure that Gaza will never again become a safe haven for terror. We will continue to promote peace through strength across the region, building on the momentum of the ceasefire to further expand the historic Abraham Accords. This is just the beginning of great things to come for America and, indeed, the world!”
Trump’s Impact on the Art of the Deal
This is not Trump’s first statement regarding the hostage issue. Before being elected president, during his campaign Trump had declared that if the hostages were not returned before his inauguration, “all hell” would rain down on Gaza. Following his election, he reiterated this warning.
In an interview conducted in the U.S. on Monday, Trump stated: “I understand there was a handshake, and they’re close to finishing — perhaps by the weekend — but it has to happen. If it doesn’t, there’s going to be a lot of trouble — trouble like they’ve never seen before.”
In recent days, American-Jewish businessman Steven Witkoff visited Israel, as a close associate of Trump’s and his special envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to expedite the negotiations with Hamas. It now appears that these efforts bore fruit, as both sides finally successfully navigated the path to a deal.
