Trump warns Hamas: Release hostages by January 2025 or face severe consequences

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has warned Hamas that if they do not release the hostages by January 20, 2025, there will be severe consequences for the Middle East.

He emphasized that failure to free the hostages would result in heavy repercussions.

On Monday, December 2nd, Trump wrote on his social media platform, “Truth Social,” stating that those responsible for the crimes against humanity would face significant consequences if the hostages were not freed by the deadline. He criticized the global community for only talking about the hostages but not taking any real action.

Trump hinted that he would take action to secure the release of the hostages, stressing that words were no longer enough. He warned that the perpetrators of this hostage crisis would pay a heavy price if they did not meet the January deadline.

The deadline Trump set for the hostages’ release coincides with the start of his second term as president. January 20, 2025, marks the day Trump will officially take office for the second time and begin his presidency again.

In response to Trump’s warning, Hamas stated that 33 Israeli hostages had been killed, with many others either missing or dead due to Israeli airstrikes. However, Hamas did not directly address Trump’s threats, and instead, focused on the casualties.

Hamas had taken 251 hostages during its October 7 attack on Israel’s border areas. Of these, 150 hostages were freed in November this year, but the exact number of hostages still held by Hamas remains unclear.

The situation remains tense as the world watches closely to see whether Hamas will comply with Trump’s deadline for releasing the hostages. Trump’s warning adds an element of urgency to the ongoing conflict, and the potential for further escalation in the Middle East is high if the issue is not resolved.

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