JERUSALEM/CAIRO — Israeli leaders hailed on Tuesday (Dec 3) a pledge by US President-elect Donald Trump that there would be “hell to pay” in the Middle East unless hostages held in the Gaza Strip were released ahead of his Jan. 20 inauguration.

The reaction in Gaza was less enthusiastic.

Writing on Truth Social, and without naming any group, Trump said the hostages had to be freed by the time he was sworn in.

If his demand was not met, he said: “Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America.”

During their deadly 2023 attack on Israel, Hamas-led militants captured more than 250 people. Some have been released or freed but around half of them are still in Gaza, although at least a third of these are believed to be dead.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and many of his ministers publicly thanked Trump for his hard-hitting words.

“President Trump put the emphasis in the right place, on Hamas, and not on the Israeli government, as is customary (elsewhere),” Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Trump’s statement had made clear to everyone who was in the right, and who was wrong.

“This is the way to bring back the hostages: by increasing the pressure and the costs for Hamas and its supporters, and defeating them, rather than giving in to their absurd demands.”

Families of the missing hostages also expressed their gratitude. “It is now evident to all: the time has come. We must bring them home NOW,” the families forum said.