Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S.
President-elect Donald Trump about developments in Syria and a current push to protect the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, he said on Sunday.Netanyahu said he talked to Trump on Saturday night about the problem, which will loom large as one of the main foreign obstacles dealing with Trump when he takes office if it is not fixed before he is sworn in on Jan.
20, Reuters reported.Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and abducted more than 250, including Israeli-American double nationals, throughout their Oct.
7, 2023 attack on Israel, according to Israeli tallies.
More than 100 hostages have actually been released through settlements or Israeli military rescue operations.
Of the 100 still kept in Gaza, approximately half are believed to be alive.Israel&& s response has actually eliminated nearly 45,000 individuals, mostly civilians, according to authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, displaced almost the whole population and left much of the enclave in ruins.Trump&& s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, alerted last week during a visit to the area that it would && not be a beautiful day & if the hostages held in Gaza were not released before Trump&& s inauguration.Trump stated previously this month there would be && hell to pay & in the Middle East if the captives were not launched before he came into office.A Trump representative on Sunday declined to provide additional information about the call.A bid by Egypt, Qatar and the United States to reach a truce that would also include a hostage deal has actually gained momentum in current weeks.Netanyahu said he had talked with Trump about efforts to secure a captive release.
&& We went over the requirement to complete Israel&& s victory and we spoke at length about the efforts we are making to free our hostages,& & he said.President Joe Biden&& s outbound administration is striving to achieve a deal.
U.S.
national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who was in the region last week, said on Thursday he thought a deal on a Gaza ceasefire and captive release might be close, and deputy nationwide security advisor Jon Finer informed Reuters there was momentum in the process.Netanyahu said he and Trump had also discussed the circumstance in Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.
Israel has actually performed hundreds of strikes on Syria&& s strategic weapons stockpiles in the days because Assad&& s ouster and moved soldiers into a demilitarised zone inside Syria.&& We have no interest in a conflict with Syria,& & Netanyahu stated in a declaration.
Israeli actions in Syria were intended to && prevent the possible dangers from Syria and to avoid the takeover of terrorist aspects near our border,& & he said.The post Trump and Netanyahu go over Gaza captives and Syria, Israeli PM states initially appeared on Ariana News.