Israel Praises US Elected President Donald Trump's Promise Of Hostages In Gaza

Donald Trump. (Wikimedia Commons/Liam Enea)

JAKARTA - A number of Israeli officials praised the promise of US President-elect Donald Trump regarding the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

Without mentioning any group, Trump in a post on Truth Social wrote, the hostages in Gaza must be released before he is sworn in on January 20. If failed, Trump threatens to take firm action.

"Those responsible will be dealt a tougher blow than anyone who has been hit in the long and graded history of the United States," he said.

Trump's promise was responded by a number of Israeli ministers and hostages' families.

"It's refreshing to hear clear and moral statements that don't create false equality or call for discussing 'both sides', but make it clearer who is good and who is evil," said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

"This is a way to bring the hostages back: by increasing pressure and costs to Hamas and its supporters, and defeating them, rather than giving in to their unreasonable demands," he said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar only said to X: "Thank you President Trump".

Likewise, the families of the missing hostages expressed their gratitude. "Now it's clear to everyone: the time has come. We have to take them home now," said the family forum.

It is known that at least 250 people were held hostage and below to Gaza in the Hamas-led militant group attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli calculations. Some have been released, half of which are still in Gaza, although at least as have been killed.

Israel and Hamas themselves have been holding negotiations since October 2023, but after the initial hostage release in November last year, little progress has been made with both sides blaming each other.

Separately, political analyst Gaza Ramiz Moghani said Trump's threats were directed at Hamas and its Iran supporters, warning it would make Israel brave not only to expel Palestinians from the Gaza region, but also annex the nearby West Bank of Israel.

"These statements have serious implications for Israel's war on Gaza and the West Bank," he told Reuters.