In a marathon press conference on Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump doubled down on his promise that “all hell will break out” in the Middle East if Hamas-held hostages are not released, warning them they now have a deadline of two weeks.
During a press conference where he discussed everything from pardoning Jan. 6 Capitol rioters to possible using the military to take Greenland, Trump introduced Steve Witkoff, his envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff, he said, has been in negotiations to see the release of hostages held in Gaza
Trump would not elaborate on what this “hell” will look like, but said a deal needs to be done before he is back in office on Jan. 20.
“You know what that means, don’t you? Do I have to define it for you? Look, all hell will break out. If those hostages aren’t back — I don’t want to hurt your negotiation — if they’re not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East,” he said.
There are believed to still be multiple American hostages alive in Hamas’ custody, while some have died. The terror group kidnapped hundreds of people after attacking Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,000 in the process
Trump said on Tuesday:
“If Hamas doesn’t act, it’s going to be bad for them and for everyone else. Things will get out of control. I don’t need to explain further, but that’s the situation. They should have returned the hostages long ago. They should never have attacked on October 7. People forget, but that attack happened, and many were killed. Some hostages didn’t survive. I’ve had people from Israel and the U.S. call me, begging for help. Parents have come to me crying, asking for the bodies of their children.”
Trump also emphasized he didn’t want to interfere with Witkoff’s negotiations but warned that serious consequences would follow if a deal wasn’t reached. He praised Witkoff as a rare and skilled negotiator, comparing him to a top surgeon.
“Steve has a tough job, but he’s the right person for it. He’s a great negotiator, someone they already respect. That’s what we needed—someone who knows how to get things done in the Middle East,” Trump said.
Trump set a deadline for Hamas and made it clear what would happen if there’s no resolution:
“I don’t want to disrupt the talks, but if there’s no deal before I take office in two weeks, the Middle East will face chaos,” he said, thanking Witkoff for his efforts.
