Over the weekend, Benjamin Netanyahu engaged in an extensive conversation with his “friend” Donald Trump regarding the hostages still captured by Hamas, as the Israeli prime minister disclosed in a social media video on Sunday.
Highlighting the “evolving landscape of the Middle East,” which includes the downfall of Syria’s Assad regime, Netanyahu stated he had a “very friendly, warm and important” discussion about “all of this last night with my friend, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.”
“We talked about the necessity of ensuring Israel’s victory, and we had an in-depth dialogue about the initiatives we are pursuing to liberate our hostages,” Netanyahu elaborated.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants were responsible for the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the kidnapping of approximately 250 during targeted strikes against Israel, based on Israeli statistics. While over 100 hostages have been released, officials express concern that as many as half of those still unaccounted for may be deceased, as reported by Reuters.
In response, Israel has reportedly caused the deaths of around 45,000 individuals in the Gaza Strip, according to local health authorities, and has devastated much of the territory. The United Nations believes that a significant portion of the casualties were women and children.
“We will persist in our relentless efforts to bring back all of our hostages, both living and deceased,” Netanyahu emphasized, omitting any reference to current President Joe Biden and the White House representatives who are actively engaged in negotiating a ceasefire agreement.
“The less we discuss this, the better,” Netanyahu remarked.
A spokesperson for Trump declined to provide Reuters with further details regarding the conversation.
Last week, White House officials indicated a possible breakthrough in the stagnant ceasefire negotiations after Hamas consented to two of Israel’s primary demands.
Hamas leaders stated that they would permit Israeli forces to maintain a temporary presence in Gaza while hostilities cease, and they finally submitted a list of hostages that would be released under a ceasefire agreement, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
According to the New York Times, Hamas has faced increasing isolation in recent weeks following a negotiated ceasefire deal involving Lebanon and Hezbollah, as well as the removal of the Assad regime in Syria. White House officials believe these developments have made Hamas’s leadership more amenable to compromises on previously non-negotiable issues.
Meanwhile, Trump has been preparing to claim credit for any potential agreement that may be reached before his term starts in January. In November, his upcoming Middle East envoy engaged with Netanyahu and Qatar’s prime minister, while Trump himself made ambiguous threats on social media.
“If the hostages are not released before January 20, 2025, the date I proudly take office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those responsible for these atrocities against humanity,” he expressed earlier this month on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Israel interpreted this message as directed at Hamas, which had taken the hostages, whereas Hamas suggested it was aimed at Netanyahu, who has “sabotaged” attempts to finalize a deal, as reported by the BBC at that time.
