Trump and Netanyahu discuss the fate of hostages in Gaza and the situation in Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed with US President-elect Donald Trump the events in Syria and the recent attempt to secure the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Netanyahu said this on Sunday, UNN reports with reference to Reuters.

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Netanyahu said he spoke with Trump on Saturday night about the issue of hostage release, which will be one of the main tasks facing Trump after taking office if it is not done by January 20.

“We discussed the need to complete Israel's victory and talked in detail about the efforts we are making to free our hostages,” he said.

Netanyahu said that he and Trump also discussed the situation in Syria after the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime. A few days after the overthrow of Assad, Israel launched hundreds of strikes on strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria and deployed troops to the demilitarized zone in Syria.

“We are not interested in a conflict with Syria,” Netanyahu said in a statement. According to him, Israel's actions in Syria were aimed at “preventing potential threats from Syria and preventing terrorist elements from taking over near our border.

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According to Israeli estimates, during the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250, including dual Israeli and US citizens. More than 100 hostages were released as a result of negotiations or rescue operations by the Israeli military. Of the 100 people still held in Gaza, approximately half are believed to be alive.

According to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip authorities, Israel's retaliatory actions killed nearly 45,000 people, mostly civilians, displaced almost the entire population, and left much of the enclave in ruins.

Last week, during a visit to the region, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff warned that it would be “not a good day” if the hostages held in Gaza were not released before Trump's inauguration.

Earlier this month , Trump said that if the hostages are not released before he takes office, there will be “hell to pay in the Middle East.

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In recent weeks, an attempt by Egypt, Qatar and the United States to reach a truce that would include a hostage deal has gained momentum. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who was in the region last week, said on Thursday that he believed a ceasefire and hostage deal could be close, while Deputy National Security Advisor John Feiner told Reuters that the process was gaining momentum.