Can President Trump rescue the hostages?

Israel’s efforts to defeat Hamas and other extremist groups in Gaza has endured for more than a year and the end is not yet in sight. Three Israeli soldiers were killed and three were wounded while fighting Wednesday in the northern Gaza Strip.

These radical Islamist groups continue to hold about 100 hostages, in gross violation of law and morality. And yet the international community has thus far refused to demand their release.

President-elect Trump is the first to make this a key issue, warning that “all hell will break loose in the Middle East” if the captives are not released before he takes office on 20 January. “If they’re not back by the time I take office, the Middle East will face chaos like never before. It won’t be good for Hamas or anyone else,” said Trump.

It is bizarre that the United Nations has failed to ensure the hostages’ release. Instead of condemning Hamas for gross war crimes, or those committed by Assad and Erdogan’s Turkey in Syria, the UN has continued its decades-long condemnation of Israel as the aggressor.

In fact, UN resolutions passed in recent months demand an unconditional end to Israel’s military and civilian presence in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

“It is bizarre that the United Nations has failed to ensure the hostages release.”

These resolutions ignore developments in Syria, including the collapse of the Assad regime, the recalibration of Iran’s regional influence, and Turkey’s increasing role as a key player in the post-Assad landscape. These changes have further reshaped the geopolitical environment, underscoring the interconnectedness of regional dynamics.

As long as the Iranian revolutionary regime and its terror network remain active, alongside the emergence of other jihadist threats such as “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS) in the post-Assad Syrian landscape, Israel’s control over the territories acquired in June 1967 remains crucial. Turkey’s reported support for HTS, including its strategic use of the group to exert influence in northern Syria, complicates the regional security landscape.

While HTS has attempted to rebrand itself as a more moderate actor, its jihadist ideology and potential alignment with anti-Israel objectives present a latent threat to Israeli security. These territories serve as a defensive buffer to counter the growing influence of jihadist groups and to mitigate the risks of regional destabilization.

Additionally, the absence of robust Palestinian institutions capable of governing effectively further underscores the necessity of Israel’s continued presence to ensure its survival and to uphold regional and global security.

Let us pray for the hostages still being held captive in the tunnels in Gaza. We pray for their families and loved ones. We pray for the negotiations currently underway concerning the hostages, and especially for the leaders of the United States and Israel as they make important decisions in the coming days.