Trump Vows There’ll Be ‘Hell to Pay’ If Oct. 7 Hostages Not Freed by Time of His Inauguration

About 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip after being taken from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a campaign event at the Rocky Mount Event Center in Rocky Mount, N.C., on Oct. 30, 2024. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President-elect Donald Trump threatened severe consequences if hostages held in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, are not released by the time he takes office on Jan. 20, 2025.

“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 said in a Dec. 2 post on his Truth Social media account.