Threatens 'ALL HELL TO PAY' in the Middle East if Gaza hostages are not released before inauguration

In a Truth Social post on December 2, 2024, President-elect Trump demanded the release of hostages held in Gaza and threatened that 'there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East' if they were not freed before his January 20, 2025 inauguration, adding that those responsible would 'be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America.' The post was his first public statement on the hostages since winning the election and framed the ultimatum around the date he 'proudly' assumed office. Israeli President Isaac Herzog publicly praised the statement, while Hamas officials said such rhetoric encouraged Israel to pull back from ceasefire talks. Observers noted the open-ended threat committed the United States to unspecified military retaliation weeks before Trump held any office.

“there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East” Quote verified against source