Trump threatens to unleash chaos if Gaza hostages not freed by his inauguration.

• If Hamas does not release the hostages it is holding in Gaza by the time President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20, all hell will break out in the Middle East.
• The Biden administration's negotiations in Doha, Qatar, to win the release of hostages seized by a terror group in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel are progressing well, according to Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy.
• Hamas continues to insist on Israel's complete cessation of military actions in Gaza as a condition for any agreement to free the captives.

If Hamas does not release the hostages it is holding in Gaza by the time President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20, all hell will break out in the Middle East.

Trump stated at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida that it would not benefit Hamas and it would not be beneficial for anyone.

Trump stated that we aim to retrieve the hostages for both Israel and ourselves.

""If the deal is not struck with the nation's representatives before I take office, there will be chaos," he stated."

Trump did not specify what action he would take if the hostages were not released.

Approximately 100 hostages are thought to still be held captive in Gaza, with some of them suspected to have perished.

On Monday, Hamas made public a list of 34 hostages it is prepared to release as part of a potential ceasefire deal with Israel.

Trump issued a warning again, stating that there has been "a lot of progress" in negotiations in Doha, Qatar, to secure the release of hostages seized during the terror group's deadly October 2023 incursion into Israel.

Witkoff stated that he felt they were close to it after Trump invited him to the podium to speak.

Witkoff anticipated returning to Doha on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

Despite not being a U.S. government representative or officially involved in any talks, it was unclear what role Witkoff was playing in any discussions regarding the transition.

On Tuesday, Hamas stated that it would only agree to a deal to release the hostages if Israel completely ceased its military operations in Gaza.

According to Reuters, Israel states that the war will persist until the hostages are freed and Hamas is dismantled.

Witkoff stated that he did not want to reveal too much about the negotiations in Doha.

He stated, "I am optimistic that by the inauguration, we will have positive news to share on behalf of the president."

Trump's "reputation and the things he has said" were credited with "driving the negotiations."

Witkoff stated that he believed they heard him clearly and that they would complete the task by the inaugural.

He added, "I hope it all works out and we can save some lives."