On Sunday, January 19th, newly appointed U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz made comments regarding the Gaza ceasefire and hostage agreement. He warned Hamas not to violate the agreement and stated that the armed organization will never again rule Gaza.
Waltz, in an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, explicitly stated that first, if Hamas breaks the agreement, if Hamas reneges and changes its goals, then the United States will support Israel in “doing what it must do”.
He said, secondly, “Hamas will never rule Gaza again. This (ruling Gaza) is completely unacceptable, as their intentions are clear, which is to destroy Israel and create more ‘October 7th’ events in the future.” He referred to the unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, where approximately 1,200 people were killed and a large number of hostages were taken.
Waltz emphasized that the Gaza hostages have been held longer than the hostages during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. They have been subjected to brutal treatment, rape, and torture.
“This is horrifying, but now we are about to witness the moment when the hostages are released. As President Trump is inaugurated, the hostages will be released alive, and this is something we should all celebrate,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Saturday, January 18th, adopted a cautious approach regarding whether Hamas is abiding by the terms of the agreement. He warned that both Biden and Trump agree that if Hamas does not comply with the agreement, the U.S. will support Israel in “restoring the right to fight.”
“I am deeply appreciative of this,” he said. “If we need to return to the battlefield, we will do so in a new way, and we will do so with great force.”
The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage agreement will last for six weeks, during which Hamas will release a total of 33 Israeli hostages. In exchange, Israel will release Palestinian prisoners.
The Israeli government released the list of these 33 hostages on Sunday. It is not yet clear how many of these 33 individuals are still alive. Among these hostages are two individuals with dual Israeli and American citizenship – Sagui Dekel-Chen and Keith Siegel. These two are believed to still be alive.