3 hours ago
Last Updated:January 15, 2025, 23:04 IST
Trump had warned earlier that there would be hell to pay if hostages were held in Gaza and his middle east envoy Witkoff also helped push the accord.
Donald Trump had warned there’d be hell to pay if the Hamas-held Israeli hostages were not freed from the Gaza Strip. (IMAGE: AP PHOTO)
US President-elect Donald Trump hailed a hostage release and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday, agreed just five days before he returns to power.
“We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!" Trump said on his Truth Social network, before there was any official announcement from outgoing President Joe Biden’s White House.
The US President-elect had warned that “there’d be hell to pay" if the hostages were not released from the Gaza Strip.
Israeli troops invaded Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen broke through security barriers and burst into Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and abducting more than 250 foreign and Israeli hostages.
Trump repeated his demand that a deal be done swiftly as his inauguration approached and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff worked with President Joe Biden’s team to push the deal over the line.
(with inputs from AFP)
Location :West Palm Beach, United States
First Published:January 15, 2025, 22:57 IST
News world 'We Have A Deal...': Trump Becomes First World Leader To Announce Gaza Accord
