Trump threatens hell in the Middle East, does not rule out military action against Panama, and calls on NATO to spend

US President Donald Trump issued a series of threats on Tuesday, promising "hell" if the hostages in Gaza are not returned, announcing a new name for the Gulf of Mexico and not ruling out military action against Panama, and calling on NATO members to increase their defense spending.

Trump again threatened "hell" if the Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip were not returned by the time he took office, adding: "The gates of hell will open wide in the Middle East," adding: "It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good for anybody, frankly."

This comes at a time when Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy to the Middle East, said he hopes to achieve good results regarding the Israeli prisoners held by the Palestinian resistance movement (Hamas) in Gaza by the time of Trump's inauguration on January 20.

"I really hope we have good news to announce on behalf of the president by the time he is inaugurated," Witkoff added, during a news conference Trump held in Palm Beach, Florida.

On December 16, 2024, Trump said, following a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that “it would not be nice if the hostages held by Hamas were not released before I take office” on January 20.

Trump, who takes office on January 20, warned on December 2 of “all hell” in the region if the Israeli detainees were not released.

“Everyone talks about the hostages being held violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire world in the Middle East, but it’s all talk and no action,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“If the hostages are not released by January 20, 2025, the date on which I proudly assume office as President of the United States, there will be an unparalleled hell in the Middle East, and those responsible for these atrocities against humanity will face severe punishment,” he added.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for efforts to end the fighting in the Gaza Strip at a later stage before President Joe Biden leaves office. This came after a Hamas official told Reuters that the movement had agreed to a list of 34 Israeli detainees in the first group to be released under a truce.

"We very much want to cross the finish line within the next two weeks, which is the time we have left," Blinken said at a news conference in South Korea when asked if a ceasefire agreement would be reached soon.

In addition, Hamas leader Osama Hamdan confirmed that the movement does not object to handing over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a national consensus government or a government of national elites, reiterating Hamas’s rejection of any interference in the formulas for administering the Strip after the war.

NATO and increased defense spending

In another context, the US President-elect urged NATO members today, Tuesday, to increase their defense spending to five percent of the gross domestic product, repeating his accusations that they pay less than they should for the protection of the United States.

"They can all afford it, but it should be 5 percent, not 2 percent," Trump told reporters. He also said he would "not rule out military action on the Panama Canal and Greenland," which he believes the United States should control.

The Gulf of Mexico is located southeast of the North American continent, and its waters connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Strait of Florida, which separates the Florida Peninsula from the island of Cuba.

Source: Agencies + Yemen Youth Net