Trump, Netanyahu discuss Gaza hostages and Syria
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) spoke with US President-elect Donald Trump about developments in Syria and Gaza.
PHOTO: REUTERS
JERUSALEM/WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Dec 15 that he spoke with US President-elect Donald Trump about developments in Syria and a recent push to secure the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Mr Netanyahu said they talked on the night of Dec 14 about efforts to free hostages, which will loom large as one of the main foreign challenges facing Trump when he takes office if it is not resolved before he is sworn in on Jan 20.
Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and abducted more than 250, including Israeli-American nationals, during their Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel, according to Israeli tallies.
More than 100 hostages have been freed through negotiations or Israeli military rescue operations.
Of the 100 still held in Gaza, roughly half are believed to be alive.
Israel’s response has killed almost 45,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. It has also displaced nearly the entire population and left much of the enclave in ruins.
Trump’s Middle East envoy, Mr Steve Witkoff, warned last week during a visit to the region that it would “not be a pretty day” if the hostages held in Gaza were not released before Trump’s inauguration.
Trump said earlier in December that there would be “hell to pay” in the Middle East if the hostages were not released before he comes into office.
A Trump spokesperson on Dec 15 declined to give further details about the call.
A bid by Egypt, Qatar and the US to reach a truce in Gaza that would include a hostage deal has gained momentum in recent weeks.
Mr Netanyahu said he had spoken with Trump about efforts to secure a hostage release. “We discussed the need to complete Israel’s victory, and we spoke at length about the efforts we are making to free our hostages.”
US President Joe Biden's outgoing administration is working hard to achieve a deal.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who was in the region last week, said on Dec 12 that he believed a deal on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release may be close, and Deputy National Security adviser Jon Finer said there was momentum in the process.
Mr Netanyahu said he and Trump also discussed the situation in Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on Syria’s strategic weapons stockpiles in the days since Mr Assad’s ouster and moved troops into a demilitarised zone in Syria.
“We have no interest in a conflict with Syria,” Mr Netanyahu said in a statement.
Israeli actions in Syria were intended to “thwart the potential threats from Syria and to prevent the takeover of terrorist elements near our border”, he said. REUTERS
