Trump Asks For Hostages In Gaza To Be Released Before Its Inauguration Or There Is A Expensive Price To Pay

Donald Trump. (Twitter/@TrumpWarRoom)

JAKARTA - United States President-elect Donald Trump said on Monday there would be a 'priced price' in the Middle East if hostages detained in the Gaza Strip were not released before their inauguration next month.

It became the most assertive statement since the Republican politician was re-elected to lead Uncle Sam's country last November. The inauguration itself will take place on January 20.

"(If) the hostages are not released before January 20, 2025, the date when I proudly hold the position of President of the United States, there will be all the hell to pay in the Middle East, and for those responsible for these atrocities to Humanity," he wrote on social media.

"Those responsible will receive a heavier sentence than anyone who has ever received punishment in the long and graded history of the United States," Trump added.

The Palestinian militant group led by Hamas attacked Israel's southern region on October 7, 2023. According to Israeli calculations, it left about 1,200 people dead and 250 others arrested and taken to Gaza.

Those held hostage include Israeli-American nationals. About half of the 101 foreign hostages and Israelis who are still detained without access to communication in Gaza are believed to be alive.

On Monday, Hamas said 33 hostages in Gaza had died during the war that lasted nearly 14 months between Palestinian militant groups and Israelis in the enclave, without mentioning their citizenship.

In retaliation for the attack on its territory, Israel held a blockade, airstrikes and ground operations in the Gaza region since October 7, 2023.

Separately, Gaza's health authorities confirmed yesterday that the death toll from the Israeli attack since October 7, 2023 has risen to 44,466 victims, while injuries reached 105,358, the majority of victims were women and children, quoted from WAFA.

Hamas itself has called for an end to the war and a total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, as part of the deal to free the remaining hostages.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the war will continue until Hamas is eradicated and is no longer a threat to Israel.