Incoming White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Walla on Saturday that President-elect Donald Trump plans to implement tougher sanctions on Iran, take a hard stance on terrorism, and reinforce support for Israel.
“President Trump will be America’s negotiator-in-chief and will prioritize bringing innocent hostages back home,” she said.
Israeli families of hostages and officials advocating for their release are closely monitoring US President-elect Donald Trump’s moves, hoping he can succeed where President Joe Biden has thus far failed: convincing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza in exchange for the hostages held by Hamas.
With fewer than two months until Trump’s inauguration, a deal to secure both the hostages’ release and a ceasefire in Gaza seems distant.
Should no resolution be reached, Trump is likely to inherit the crisis, along with the responsibility for seven American hostages still held by Hamas. At least four of them are believed to be alive.
Diplomatic push behind the scenes
President Isaac Herzog raised the urgency of the hostage situation in a congratulatory phone call to Trump following his election victory, according to three sources familiar with the discussion. Herzog reportedly told the president-elect, “You must save the hostages.”
Trump responded by stating that, to the best of his knowledge, most hostages were presumed dead. Herzog countered, saying Israeli intelligence believes around 50 of the 101 hostages remain alive.
“Trump was surprised and admitted he wasn’t aware of that,” said one source briefed on the call. Two other individuals confirmed that Trump expressed initial skepticism regarding the hostages’ survival.
During a November 11 meeting at the White House, Herzog also urged Biden to work with Trump on the matter before the transition of power in January. Days later, Biden raised the issue again during a two-hour Oval Office meeting with Trump, suggesting they collaborate on a resolution.
“I don’t care if Trump gets all the credit as long as they come home,” Biden reportedly told the families of American hostages shortly after his meeting with Trump, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
Historic parallels
Trump’s situation bears resemblance to former President Ronald Reagan’s early days in office. Reagan, whom Trump has often praised, inherited a crisis involving 52 Americans held hostage by Iran. On January 19, 1981, outgoing President Jimmy Carter finalized a deal with Iran, and the hostages were freed the next day, hours after Reagan’s inauguration.
Orna and Ronen Neutra, parents of Omer Neutra, an Israeli-American held by Hamas for 414 days, wrote an open letter to Trump in The Washington Post. They expressed hope that Trump could secure a similar breakthrough.
“We have a message for Mr. Trump: Time is critical. We trust your leadership to bring Omer home,” they wrote, emphasizing that regional players such as Iran and Qatar appeared to reassess their strategies following Trump’s election win.
Hostage deal stalemate
Negotiations over a hostage deal and a ceasefire in Gaza have been frozen for more than three months.
During a meeting this week, senior Israeli defense officials told Netanyahu they believe Hamas will not back down from its demand for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to hostilities. Officials emphasized that achieving a deal would require Israel to soften its current stance.
Netanyahu has remained firm, refusing to end the war in exchange for a hostage deal, arguing that it would bolster Hamas and represent a defeat for Israel.
An Israeli official noted that a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon could redirect pressure onto Hamas and increase the likelihood of reaching a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza.
Will Trump succeed where Biden failed?
Several senior Israeli officials believe Trump will have greater influence over Netanyahu than Biden. Trump has already signaled that he wants the Gaza war resolved quickly, a stance that could sway Netanyahu.
Despite repeated efforts, Biden failed to convince Netanyahu to compromise on a hostage deal.
Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an advisor to Trump’s incoming team, argued that Trump must act swiftly.
“President Trump should immediately issue a clear demand for the release of all hostages, direct his senior advisors to prioritize the matter before January 20, and warn all parties of the consequences of defying the incoming U.S. president. The release of hostages must be framed as a non-negotiable prerequisite for achieving a ceasefire,” Dubowitz said.