People  hold pictures  of hostages held captive by Palestinian militants since the October 7, 2023 attacks, calling  for their release, at the HaMoshava Stadium in Petah Tikva in central Israel, on Tuesday —AFP

Agencies WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV

US President-elect Donald Trump has warned that "all hell will break out in the Middle East" if the hostages being held by Hamas are not released by Inauguration Day, January 20.

Trump did not elaborate on what actions he might take if the captives are not released by the time he takes office.

"All hell will break out. If those hostages aren't back, I don't want to hurt your negotiation, if they're not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East," Trump told reporters at a news conference in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

He was responding to a question on the status of negotiations with Hamas on the release of American hostages. 

His Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Charles Witkoff, who has just returned from the region, told reporters, "I believe we've been on the verge of it. I don't want to discuss sort of what's delayed it, no point in being negative in any way,” Witkoff said.

Noting that they are making a lot of progress, he said: "I don't want to say too much because I think they're doing a really good job back in Doha,” he said, adding he would be going to Doha  on Wednesday.

Officials say about 100 hostages, including some Americans, who were taken hostage on October 7, 2023, remain captive in Gaza, though they believe many of them may have died in captivity.

A hostage who was rescued in mid-February in an Israeli military raid, Har, 71, said, "Winter makes it much harder, much more complicated," said Har. "They must return as quickly as possible." 

With no heating in the apartment where he was held, the cold from the floor permeated his thin mattress at night. Fighting outside shattered the apartment windows, sending in rain and wind. He was made a wear only a T-shirt and shorts.

The hostages often experience the same dire circumstances as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, whether it be food scarcity, the dangers from Israeli bombardments or the winter.