Trump Reiterates Warning to Hamas on Hostage Release

[Social Media]

 

Former US President Donald Trump has once again issued a strong ultimatum to Hamas, demanding the immediate release of hostages being held in Gaza. Trump’s comments came during a New Year’s Eve gala at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, as he was pressed by reporters on the delicate situation.

On New Year’s Eve at Mar-A-Lago Trump states that, "They better let the hostages come back soon."pic.twitter.com/ZzmfAuJGUp

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) January 1, 2025

 

When asked by a CNN reporter whether he had recently discussed a potential ceasefire and hostage negotiation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump was brief in his response. "We’re gonna see what happens," he said, before delivering a pointed warning: "I’ll put it this way: they better let the hostages come back soon."

 

The former president’s remarks highlight the ongoing tension surrounding the hostages and the apparent impasse in talks aimed at resolving the crisis. As Trump prepares for a potential return to office, his firm stance underscores the high stakes involved in addressing the situation in the region.

 

Asked about his resolutions for the new year, Trump said, “I just want everybody to be happy, healthy and well.” Trump later took the stage to briefly address the crowd ringing in the new year at Mar-a-Lago and promised “to do a great job as your president.”

 

Biden, for his part, spent New Year’s Eve celebrating the wedding of his niece Missy Owens in Greenville, Delaware, followed by the reception in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Biden and first lady Jill Biden cut short their traditional holiday trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands to attend the ceremony.

 

Based on a report by USA News | TOI |  2024-01-02

 

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Hamas has survived over a year being attacked by the most moral army on the planet, so I doubt something a blustering bufoon in the US is wobbling on about is going make them give the hostages up without a ceasefire and resumption of aid, at the least.

[Luuk Chaai]

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/03c3a36907506a2dd37f312085ecf0d7208597a5/0_282_5760_3455/master/5760.jpg?width=1200&height=900&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&s=623e9dc23aedf3bc1b70ede911bb356a

Is that your house ?  we have a "package" to deliver to you

 

[spidermike007]

I am sure Hamas is quaking in their boots over the threat from the goombah. 

[Eric Loh]

Nothing but bluster from Trump. He will end Ukraine-Russia war in one day, buy Greenland, take over Panama Canal, threatened Canada and Mexico. His Hamas warning is all part of his narcissistic nature to drawing attention. Global leaders laugh at his shenanigans. He has no serious thought out foreign policies. Of course he will blame others for his foreign policy failures. 

[Purdey]

I think Hamas is waiting to hear from Musk. They want the organ grinder not the monkey. 

[Thingamabob]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

Nothing but bluster from Trump. He will end Ukraine-Russia war in one day, buy Greenland, take over Panama Canal, threatened Canada and Mexico. His Hamas warning is all part of his narcissistic nature to drawing attention. Global leaders laugh at his shenanigans. He has no serious thought out foreign policies. Of course he will blame others for his foreign policy failures. 

Wait and see. Time will tell. I seem to recall there was relative peace during his first tenure.

[candide]

7 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/03c3a36907506a2dd37f312085ecf0d7208597a5/0_282_5760_3455/master/5760.jpg?width=1200&height=900&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&s=623e9dc23aedf3bc1b70ede911bb356a

Is that your house ?  we have a "package" to deliver to you

 

They already have a target on their head by the Israeli (and we all know how efficient they can be). Would they think that Trump may be a greater tnreat to them than the Israeli? 😆

[Nick Carter icp]

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Hamas has survived over a year being attacked by the most moral army on the planet, so I doubt something a blustering bufoon in the US is wobbling on about is going make them give the hostages up without a ceasefire and resumption of aid, at the least.

 

   Half of Hamas has survived  , the other half hasn't survived 

[Chomper Higgot]

5 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Half of Hamas has survived  , the other half hasn't survived 

And the means by which that has been achieved is driving recruitment.

[Bkk Brian]

5 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

And the means by which that has been achieved is driving recruitment.

Really? How's that then, if around half are dead, then a good portion of the other half is taken out with injuries, where is this recruitment coming from and how are they getting the arms?

[Nick Carter icp]

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

And the means by which that has been achieved is driving recruitment.

 

   I do not believe that to be true .

How many Palestinians have signed up to join Hamas since the war began ?

[Chomper Higgot]

4 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   I do not believe that to be true .

How many Palestinians have signed up to join Hamas since the war began ?

I have no idea.

 

Who said all new recruits would be Palestinians?

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I have no idea.

 

Who said all new recruits would be Palestinians?

 

 

Well you said 

 

11 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

And the means by which that has been achieved is driving recruitment.

So lets start with that claim shall we. Where did you get that data from?

[Nick Carter icp]

Just now, Chomper Higgot said:

I have no idea.

 

Who said all new recruits would be Palestinians?

 

 

 

   You claimed that the war has been driving a Hamas  recruitment . 

That claim has no basis in fact .

There hasn't been a drive in Hamas recruitment 

[Chomper Higgot]

Just now, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   You claimed that the war has been driving a Hamas  recruitment . 

That claim has no basis in fact .

There hasn't been a drive in Hamas recruitment 

Here you go:

 

https://m.jpost.com/middle-east/article-835754

[Bkk Brian]

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Here you go:

 

https://m.jpost.com/middle-east/article-835754

From the link so I am afraid that does not support your claim, especially when polls carried out in Gaza tell a vastly different picture

 

"Another alternative is that despite the initial IDF estimates of 25,000, estimates from before the war stood at 30,000, even up to 40,000."

[Jaggg88]

14 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Hamas has survived over a year being attacked by the most moral army on the planet, so I doubt something a blustering bufoon in the US is wobbling on about is going make them give the hostages up without a ceasefire and resumption of aid, at the least.

They've survived a year hiding behind civilians, schools and hospitals and all this without a care for the people they're supposed to represent.

[Bkk Brian]

30,000 was always an estimate for how many fighters Hamas had. We now know that the number was too low.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-794045

 

 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

22 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Here you go:

 

https://m.jpost.com/middle-east/article-835754

 

   That is a confusing article .

Begins making a claim, then states that the numbers don't add up .

The article also states that Hamas and Islamic Jihad have merged to form a group with more members .

   Islamic Jihad members joining with Hamas are not really new recruits because they were already fighting against Israel .

  The article then ends by saying all the actual numbers are ununclear 

[Chomper Higgot]

7 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   That is a confusing article .

Begins making a claim, then states that the numbers don't add up .

The article also states that Hamas and Islamic Jihad have merged to form a group with more members .

   Islamic Jihad members joining with Hamas are not really new recruits because they were already fighting against Israel .

  The article then ends by saying all the actual numbers are ununclear 

I have no wish to argue the definitions of these groups but if Hamas are pulling in members of other groups then they are clearly recruiting.

 

From Jerusalem Post article I linked to:

 

 

“The Post was told on Wednesday night that the 40,000 number was more accurate.This could suggest that a majority of the Hamas fighters are still from their original force, and they have undoubtedly added thousands of new recruits.”

 

 

 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I have no wish to argue the definitions of these groups but if Hamas are pulling in members of other groups then they are clearly recruiting.

 

From Jerusalem Post article I linked to:

 

 

“The Post was told on Wednesday night that the 40,000 number was more accurate.This could suggest that a majority of the Hamas fighters are still from their original force, and they have undoubtedly added thousands of new recruits.”

 

Could be seen as Islamic Jihad filling the void left by Hamas members being killed .

   Hamas member die and Islamic Jihad members take their place ?

Need to call them Hamas members though , because they need to die as well 

[Bkk Brian]

10 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I have no wish to argue the definitions of these groups but if Hamas are pulling in members of other groups then they are clearly recruiting.

 

From Jerusalem Post article I linked to:

 

 

“The Post was told on Wednesday night that the 40,000 number was more accurate.This could suggest that a majority of the Hamas fighters are still from their original force, and they have undoubtedly added thousands of new recruits.”

 

and again from the same link:

 

"Another alternative is that despite the initial IDF estimates of 25,000, estimates from before the war stood at 30,000, even up to 40,000."

 

The same article is giving other options and alternatives, no wonder you don't want to argue the point.

 

From the latest poll:

 

Latest poll figures and it shows the sharp decline in support for Hamas. Only 39% from 71% six months ago in Gaza.

 

• we asked respondents from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip what they thought of Hamas' decision to launch the October 7 attack, whether it was correct or incorrect: 54%, compared to 67% three months ago, in June 2024, and 71% six months ago, in March 2024, said it was the right decision. The decrease in this percentage came from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where it stands today at 64% in the West Bank, a decrease of nine percentage points, and 39% in the Gaza Strip, compared to 57% three months ago, a decrease of 18 percentage points.  Six months ago, 71% of Gazans said that Hamas’ decision was “correct.”
• As we found in the previous poll, the decrease in this percentage this time also came mostly from the Gaza Strip where it stands today at 39% compared to 57% three months ago and 71% six months ago.

https://www.pcpsr.org/en/node/991

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

Just now, Nick Carter icp said:

 

Could be seen as Islamic Jihad filling the void left by Hamas members being killed .

   Hamas member die and Islamic Jihad members take their place ?

Need to call them Hamas members though , because they need to die as well 

It’s nevertheless a report from the Jerusalem Post of Hamas recruiting.

 

Hamas need only add one recruit to be recruiting, the report suggests very many more than one recruit.

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s nevertheless a report from the Jerusalem Post of Hamas recruiting.

 

Hamas need only add one recruit to be recruiting, the report suggests very many more than one recruit.

 

 

Which provides other alternatives and why are you ignoring the polls direct from Gaza?

[Nick Carter icp]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

And the means by which that has been achieved is driving recruitment.

 

   So , Hamas may have joined with Islamic Jihad and maybe some new members have joined Hamas (as they would have done before the war) , but the polls above show support for Hamas to be diminishing .

  Hamas are losing Gazian public support 

[Chomper Higgot]

Just now, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   So , Hamas may have joined with Islamic Jihad and maybe some new members have joined Hamas (as they would have done before the war) , but the polls above show support for Hamas to be diminishing .

  Hamas are losing Gazian public support 

I don’t know the basis of the statements you have made or the assumptions you make about what individuals would have done before the war.

Polls? 
 

Unless the polls state there is 100% opposition to Hamas then I have absolutely no idea how a poll could be proof that Hamas are not recruiting.

 

And really, is anyone going to answer a poll by stating they themselves have just joined Hamas?

 

If the pols show any support at all for Hamas then that is an indication that there are people who very well might be recruited.

 

If you have problems with the Jerusalem Post Article I liked, please take that up with the editor.

 

 

“The Post was told on Wednesday night that the 40,000 number was more accurate.This could suggest that a majority of the Hamas fighters are still from their original force, and they have undoubtedly added thousands of new recruits.”

 

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I don’t know the basis of the statements you have made or the assumptions you make about what individuals would have done before the war.

Polls? 
 

Unless the polls state there is 100% opposition to Hamas then I have absolutely no idea how a poll could be proof that Hamas are not recruiting.

 

And really, is anyone going to answer a poll by stating they themselves have just joined Hamas?

 

If the pols show any support at all for Hamas then that is an indication that there are people who very well might be recruited.

 

If you have problems with the Jerusalem Post Article I liked, please take that up with the editor.

 

 

 

“The Post was told on Wednesday night that the 40,000 number was more accurate.This could suggest that a majority of the Hamas fighters are still from their original force, and they have undoubtedly added thousands of new recruits.”

 

 

 

The article contradicts itself completely, you are deliberatly ignoring that fact along with if any of it is credible then it just proves Hamas are recruiting children to fight for them. Now there's another can of worms to open up. 

 

"A source told the Post on Wednesday night that the total numbers remain unclear, but that the quality of new Hamas fighters receiving weapons is far inferior to the state it was in earlier in the war, given that many of them are untrained minors."

 

Your disregard for a poll carried out by Palestinians directly in Gaza is noted. 

 

"In the Gaza Strip, support for Hamas stands at 35%"

[Nick Carter icp]

52 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 

“The Post was told on Wednesday night that the 40,000 number was more accurate.This could suggest that a majority of the Hamas fighters are still from their original force, and they have undoubtedly added thousands of new recruits.”

 

 

Yes, I did that in the link

 

 

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 

“The Post was told on Wednesday night that the 40,000 number was more accurate.This could suggest that a majority of the Hamas fighters are still from their original force, and they have undoubtedly added thousands of new recruits.”

 

I just read that a few minutes ago when you posted it  and I read it again when you posted it above 

 

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Here you go:

 

https://m.jpost.com/middle-east/article-835754

 

   Yes, the quote is in the link above .

That is 3 times that I have read it now .

You really only have to say it once .

I understood it the first time that it was posted 

[MalcolmB]

2 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Really? How's that then, if around half are dead, then a good portion of the other half is taken out with injuries, where is this recruitment coming from and how are they getting the arms?

Probably from Palestinian young men whose parents have been bombed.

Others whose kids were bombed.

Or maybe homeless men because their houses were bombed.

And maybe a few who had their cars bombed.

And probably a lot who have had their businesses bombed.

A few Uni students who had their university bombed. 
 

etc etc 

 

If any of those things happened to me I would be signing up.