Tump Confirms Dark Call With Netanyahu on Next Steps in Gaza

President-elect Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently, and warned that “all hell is gonna break out” if Israelis held hostage by Hamas aren’t returned by January 20, the day he reenters the White House.

“We had a very good talk. We discussed what will happen.… As you know, I gave warning that if these hostages aren’t back home by that date, all hell’s gonna break out,” Trump said, doubling down on threats he made earlier this month.

Netanyahu on Sunday said he had a phone call with Trump over the weekend, during which the two spoke about Israel’s next steps in Gaza and Syria.

“It was a very friendly, very warm, and very important conversation,” the Israeli prime minister said in a video on Sunday. “We discussed the need to complete Israel’s victory, and we also spoke at length about the efforts we are making to free our hostages.

“We will continue to act relentlessly to return home all of our hostages, the living and the deceased,” he added.

Around 250 Israelis were abducted by Hamas during their attack on October 7, 2023. At least 154 have been released, rescued by the Israel Defense Forces, or recovered dead. In the last year, Israel has responded by killing more than 45,000 Palestinian adults, children, journalists, and aid workers in the Gaza Strip, doing irreversible damage to the region.