The alarming threat issued by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday regarding the “hell” awaiting the Middle East if Hamas does not release Israeli prisoners before his inauguration on January 20, 2025, must be taken seriously. This is especially true given Trump’s notorious impulsiveness and recklessness during his first term as president.
Trump’s statement was laced with arrogance, hubris, and a clear attempt to intimidate Hamas into releasing Israeli prisoners without meeting its known conditions: a complete cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all of Gaza, the return of displaced residents, humanitarian aid for Gaza’s population, and a fair and equitable prisoner exchange deal.
What More Can Trump Do to Gaza?
The critical question here is: What more could Trump possibly do in Gaza that the Israeli occupation has not already done? For nearly 14 months, the occupation forces, armed with devastating U.S.-supplied weaponry, have perpetrated massacres against women, children, and civilians. They have besieged and starved Gaza’s residents, destroying homes, schools, hospitals, bakeries, and water wells.
Large parts of Gaza, particularly the north, have become uninhabitable. Yet, despite all this destruction, Israel has failed to locate and free its prisoners. So, what does Trump believe is left for him to accomplish in Gaza upon taking office? Will he deploy U.S. Marines to fight the Palestinian resistance in place of the exhausted Israeli forces? Or does he plan to bomb Gaza with nuclear weapons?
Encouraging Escalation in Gaza
Trump’s reckless and dangerous rhetoric emboldens his ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to reject a prisoner exchange deal, prolong the war, and avoid withdrawing from Gaza. It aligns with Netanyahu’s 14-month-old agenda of pursuing “absolute victory,” liberating prisoners through force, and eradicating Hamas. Trump is effectively demanding Hamas’s unconditional surrender, a clear display of tyranny and oppression.
Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinian prisoners languish in Israeli jails, enduring daily torture, humiliation, and starvation. Some have been imprisoned for over 30 years. Why does Trump not speak about these prisoners? Why does he not demand their release or denounce the inhumane treatment they face, which violates international law? Instead, his concern is solely for the 101 Israeli prisoners held by Hamas.
The Hypocrisy of Western Human Rights Discourse
While the current war in Gaza has been a source of immense pain for Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, and freedom advocates worldwide, it has also exposed the West’s hypocrisy regarding human rights, equality, and liberty. These lofty slogans have crumbled entirely. The West has forfeited any right to lecture others about human rights violations while it turns a blind eye to Israel’s daily atrocities in Gaza. Instead of intervening to stop these crimes, the incoming president of the world’s most powerful nation encourages the oppressor to persist and demands that the oppressed surrender unconditionally. What kind of world are we living in?
A Broader Threat to the Resistance Axis
Trump’s threat to plunge the Middle East into “hell” if Hamas does not release Israeli prisoners for free indicates that he plans to wage war on the entire Axis of Resistance, starting with Iran. This could include a large-scale U.S. assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which Netanyahu has long vowed to destroy.
Additionally, Trump’s rhetoric encourages Israel to end its ceasefire with Hezbollah after the 60-day truce, calculated precisely to coincide with Trump’s return to the White House. The recent developments in Syria, beginning on November 27, are part of this broader strategy to dismantle the Resistance Axis through coordinated efforts by the U.S. and Israel, as well as their proxies. These proxies are being equipped and trained, even in advanced drone warfare, by Ukrainian experts and military officers.
A New Middle East Without Resistance
In summary, Trump’s boastful and arrogant threats signify his determination to collaborate with Netanyahu in creating a new Middle East devoid of any resistance movements or nations. Arab and Muslim countries will be forced into submission, normalization, and the abandonment of the Palestinian cause, culminating in its final eradication. Any country that deviates from this trajectory will face conspiracies and internal destabilization.
This is Trump’s vision. However, his threats have never intimidated the Resistance Axis, neither during his presidency from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021, nor now.
