Donald Trump’s hostage threat has Hamas officials scrambling to compromise on release and ceasefire

A threatening social media post issued by Donald Trump has high-ranking Hamas officials scrambling to reach a truce deal with Israel, halting war in Gaza and bringing forward the release of hostages.

A White House officially, speaking on the condition on anonymity, told NBC News that Mr Trump’s post was “a big factor” in recent concessions.

“There is a confidence we have not seen since May,” the White House official said.

The Wall Street Journal added that Hamas is understood to be prepared to allow Israeli forces to stay in the Gaza Strip, and that Hamas will provide a detailed list of all hostages.

A new 60-day hostility pause proposal has been presented, which now includes clauses for the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, a key concession from Hamas. The Washington Post reported that Hamas is no longer demanding a “complete halt” of war or the full withdrawal of Israeli forces.

It is understood that hostages would be exchanged in groups, potentially spaced out across six-week blocks.

Female soldiers are reportedly going to be released before male soldiers.

The US president-elect’s threat, published on Truth Social, warned of “hell to pay” if hostages were not freed before the Republican takes office for the second time on January 20 next year.

“If the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against humanity,” Mr Trump wrote.

“Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied history of the United States of America.

“RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!”

Although Mr Trump did not detail what fate those responsible would face, the fear of “hell” now has reportedly put Hamas into a position where it is making compromises to seal a deal before the end of the year.

Diplomats from the United States along with Arab mediators including Egypt and Qatar are understood to be playing a crucial role in the latest talks in the troubled region.

A Palestinian official close to the negotiations said on Wednesday that mediators had narrowed gaps on most of the agreement’s clauses.

He said Israel had introduced conditions that Hamas had rejected.

In Jerusalem, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met Adam Boehler, Mr Trump’s designated envoy for hostage affairs.

According to AP, ne diplomatic source said that Hamas, isolated after the weakening of its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and the overthrow of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad, is keen to reach a deal before the end of the year.

“A lot of people see (a deal) as the perfect Christmas gift,” the source said.

On Tuesday, sources close to the talks in Cairo, said an agreement could be signed in the coming days on a ceasefire and a release of hostages held in Gaza in return for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

There have been repeated rounds of talks over the past year, all of which have failed, with Israel insisting on retaining a military presence in the Gaza Strip and Hamas refusing to release hostages until the troops pulled out.

The war in the Gaza Strip, triggered by a Hamas-led attack on communities in southern Israel that killed 1200 people and included more than 250 people being abducted as hostages, sent shockwaves across the Middle East and left Israel isolated internationally.

Israel’s defence has seen more than 45,000 Palestinians lives lost, displaced most of the 2.3 million population and reduced much of the coastal enclave to ruins.

- With Reuters