President-elect Donald Trump has threatened that there will be “hell to pay” if the remaining hostages in Gaza are not released by the time he takes office on 20 January.
Trump took to Truth Social in a post that echoes his previous support for Israel and calls for the hostages to be released.
“Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East - but it’s all talk, and no action!” Trump posted.
“Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America.”
Trump’s calls come just hours after the Israeli Government confirmed that U.S.-Israeli citizen, Omer Neutra’s body is still being held hostage in Gaza after being killed on 7 October.
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog thanked and blessed Trump in a post on X. “We all pray for the moment we see our sisters and brothers back home!” he said.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages on 7 October 2023.
It is believed that around 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza with around two-thirds of those alive.
Israel's retaliations have left at least 44,429 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry with the war destroying vast areas of the coastal enclave and displacing 90% of Palestine's 2.3 million population.