Palestinian pastor tells Trump: Gaza is ‘already hell on earth’
US President-elect Donald Trump has promised that “there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East” if the captives held in Gaza are not released by January 20, when he takes office.
Here are some of the reactions to his comments:
- Munther Isaac, a Palestinian pastor in Bethlehem, wrote: “It is already hell on earth!!!! Lord have mercy!”
- Kenneth Roth, the former head of Human Rights Watch, wrote: “If Trump wants the hostages released, he should pressure Netanyahu to stop blocking a deal by repeatedly introducing new obstacles.”
- Andreas Krieg, an associate professor at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, wrote: “Someone tell Trump that Israel already unleashed hell on Gaza, and hostages were not released.”
- Ishaan Tharoor, a columnist for The Washington Post, wrote: “What further hell that isn’t an obvious war crime can Trump inflict on Gaza that hasn’t already been inflicted?”
Smotrich thanks Trump for clarifying ‘the good and the bad’ in war in Gaza
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has thanked the US president-elect for his “refreshing” and “morally sound statements” after Donald Trump said there would be “hell to pay” in the Middle East if the Israeli captives held in Gaza were not released prior to his January 20 inauguration.
Smotrich said on X that Trump’s statements “do not create a false equivalence or call for addressing ‘both sides,’ but rather clarify who are the good and who are the bad” in the war in Gaza.
He added: “This is the way to bring back the hostages: by increasing the pressure and the costs for Hamas and its supporters, and defeating them, rather than, giving in to their absurd demands.”
Thank you very much, Mr. President-elect! How refreshing it is to hear clear and morally sound statements that do not create a false equivalence or call for addressing “both sides,” but rather clarify who are the good and who are the bad, where the light is and where the darkness… pic.twitter.com/iDuZWr008o
— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) December 3, 2024
Netanyahu thanks Trump for strong captives statement
Netanyahu has thanked US President-elect Donald Trump for issuing a toughly worded statement demanding that captives held in the Gaza Strip be released before his January 20 inauguration.
“Hamas is required to release the hostages. President Trump put the emphasis in the right place, on Hamas, and not on the Israeli government, as is customary [elsewhere],” Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.
Israel’s Gantz calls for ‘courageous actions’ after Trump’s remarks on captives
Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz says it is time for Israel to take “courageous actions” following US President-elect Donald Trump’s promise that “there will be hell to pay” if captives held in Gaza are not released by the time he takes office in January.
“After President-elect Trump’s powerful and important statement – it’s time for our courageous actions,” Gantz said on X.
Trump’s message was earlier welcomed in Israel by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich who thanked him for his “refreshing” and “morally sound statements”.
About 250 people were taken captive in the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7 where Palestinian fighters also killed more than 1,100 people. At least 105 were released as part of a temporary truce in November last year in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. The Israeli army has retrieved others in military operations and mistakenly killed three.
Only dozens are believed to still be alive, but talks to free them have largely stalled.
