President Donald Trump met eight Israeli, American and Israeli hostages released in an oval office on Wednesday, and said he was deeply moved by the experience and vowed to punish Hamas and Gaza if everything was not released.
Hostages included Noah Argamani, Iair Horn, Naama Levy, Eli Sharabi, Omer Shem Tov, Aviva Siegel, Keith Siegel and Doron Steinbrecher. Sharabi in particular appeared healthier than when he was released a few weeks ago, and seemed debilitated enough to comment that Trump commented that he looked like a Holocaust survivor.
The hostages were greatly thanked Trump for helping them free them, and urged them to release the remaining hostages. Approximately 20 of them are thought to be still alive. The rest are dead.
“We believe you were sent by God,” one hostage told the president to release the remaining hostages.
Trump was visibly moved and told the hostages: “I've never seen anything like this. …We'll bring them out.”
As Breitbart News reported Wednesday, the Trump administration is currently negotiating directly with Hamas, detouring Qatar and Egypt as intermediaries in hopes of making progress. But direct talks also mean direct pressure, as Trump quickly showed.
After meeting hostages, Trump issued a warning to Hamas on his social media platform, Truth Social:
“Shalom Hamas” means greetings and goodbye. You can choose. Release all hostages now and return all the corpses of the people you murdered immediately, not later, or it will end for you. Only those who are twisted by illness will maintain their bodies, and you are twisted by illness! I'm sending Israel everything I need to finish my work. If you don't do as I say, Hamas members will not be safe. I met the previous hostages that you destroyed your life. This is your last warning! For leadership, it's time to leave Gaza, but you still have a chance. Also for the people of Gaza: a beautiful future awaits, but not if you hold hostages. If so, you're dead! Make wise decisions. Release hostages now and there's hell to pay later!
Donald J. Trump, President of the United States
Trump's message was well received by many Jewish leaders who were irritated under President Joe Biden. The ambiguity concluded that Hamas had the advantage and could use hostages to gain leverage.
It is unclear what Trump will do if Hamas refuses to follow his demands, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned terrorist groups to take Trump's warnings seriously: “He will do that,” Rubio I said After Trump's message.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News; Breitbart News Sunday Sirius XM Patriot will be available Sundays from 7pm to 10pm (4pm to 7pm). He is the author of Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Daysyou can pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author Trump's Virtue: Lessons and Legacy of President Donald TrumpIt is now available on Audible. He is the winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpollak.
