US President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that the Gaza ceasefire and hostage-prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas "better hold," warning that if it does not "all hell will break out."
When asked about the likelihood of the deal's success in a phone interview with NBC News, Trump responded: "Well, we’re going to see very soon, and it better hold."
Trump also said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue "doing what you have to do."
"Just keep doing what you have to do. You have to have — this has to end. We want it to end, but to keep doing what has to be done," Trump said in a phone interview with NBC News.
The president-elect stressed the importance of "respect" for the US in ensuring the agreement holds.
"Respect. The US has to get respected again, and it has to get respected fast. But respect is the primary word that I use," Trump said.
He warned that if the US was not respected, the cease-fire could unravel: "If they respect us, it will hold. If they don’t respect us, all hell will break out."
Trump also shared plans to meet with Netanyahu "fairly shortly," though he declined to offer specifics about the upcoming talks.
Qatar announced a three-phase ceasefire agreement late Wednesday evening to end more than 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, with the ceasefire set to take effect at 8.30 a.m. local time (0630GMT) on Sunday.
Nearly 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 110,700 injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.