Israel leaders applaud Trump pledge on hostages, Gazans fear the worst

The reaction in Gaza was less enthusiastic. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and many of his ministers publicly thanked Trump for his hard-hitting words. 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.” (Read more at Middle East Monitor)