Netanyahu comments on Trump's threat of ‘hell in the Middle East’

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, thanked US President-elect, Donald Trump, on Tuesday for his statement on releasing the captives in Gaza.

Trump threatened on Monday that the Middle East would have “hell to pay” if all the captives held by Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip were not released before his inauguration as US President on 20 January.

Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account, “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.”

The US President-elect stressed that “Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!”

At the start of the government session in the city of Nahariya on Tuesday, Netanyahu said, “I want to thank President Trump for his strong statement yesterday. It is a very strong statement which makes it clear that there is one party responsible for this situation — and that is Hamas. Hamas must release the hostages.”

He added, “The terrorist organisation 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 in some places.”

“We will continue to do everything to release them, and whoever harms them will be killed. This is what President Trump also said yesterday, and it adds validity to this statement,” said Netanyahu.

READ: Israel leaders applaud Trump pledge on hostages, Gazans fear the worst