Trump warns ‘all hell will break out’ if Gaza hostages aren’t released before his inauguration
CNNCNN — President-elect Donald Trump warned that if the hostages whom Hamas is still holding in Gaza are not released by his inauguration on January 20, “all hell will break out in the Middle East” – offering one more stark indication of how much the incoming president would prefer to avoid inheriting the Israel-Hamas war as he prepares to take office in less than two weeks. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s pick to serve as the special envoy to the Middle East, struck an optimistic note about the state of negotiations to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that would secure the release of the hostages, saying negotiators are “making a lot of progress.” “It’s the president, his reputation, the things that he has said that are driving this negotiation, and so hopefully it’ll all work out and we’ll save some lives,” Witkoff added. Witkoff added that “it’s the president, his reputation, the things that he has said that are driving this negotiation, and so hopefully it’ll all work out and we’ll save some lives.” CNN has previously reported that Biden administration officials are taking the lead in the talks, while their incoming Trump counterparts are being closely updated on developments. But a senior Biden administration official struck a much more cautious tone following Trump and Witkoff’s comments, telling CNN that the negotiations remain “difficult.” The official – who declined to comment further on the status of the talks – insisted that despite Witkoff appearing to suggest that a deal before January 20 was realistic, the talks are challenging.