U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday issued a stark warning, pledging severe consequences if Hamas does not release the hostages it holds in Gaza before he takes office in January.
"Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East - But it’s all talk, and no action!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity. Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!"
Trump's statement followed the IDF's confirmation that Captain Omer Neutra, an Israeli American soldier believed to have been held hostage since the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack, was killed, with his body still held by Hamas.
Neutra, a Long Island native, was a tank commander in the 7th Armored Brigade's 77th Battalion. He was killed during Hamas’ infiltration of Israeli communities near the Gaza border. Neutra’s death was confirmed by the IDF chief rabbi after a thorough review of evidence and reliable information collected by the military.
His family released their first statement following confirmation of his death. “For 14 months, 423 days, we worked tirelessly to bring Omer home, holding onto hope that he was alive, despite the lack of any sign of life. This is an unimaginable nightmare,” said his parents, Orna and Ronen, and his brother, Daniel.
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“Our beloved Omer made Aliyah out of pure love for the land and a deep commitment to the people of Israel,” they wrote. “On the morning of Simchat Torah, he and his team were the first on the front lines, alone in a disabled tank, as they used their bodies to protect Israel’s borders. They fought to the very end. For 423 days, we have waited for our leaders to rise to the occasion for the sake of Israel and the hostages, just as our beloved Omer did through his actions.”
The family added, “We never imagined, even in our worst nightmares, that we would find ourselves fighting for the values we instilled in Omer and for which he chose to make Aliyah and enlist—sanctity of life and mutual responsibility. Today, the sense of loss is overwhelming. The grief is immense. Words are exhausted, time has run out, and words alone cannot bring comfort. Leadership will be shown only through actions and results—by bringing the 101 hostages home.”